handiwork

English

Etymology

From Middle English handiwerc, from Old English handġeweorc (“work done by hand, creation”), from hand (“hand”) + ġeweorc (“work”). More at hand, work.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈhændiˌwɜːk/, X-SAMPA: /"h{ndi%w3:k/
• (GenAm) IPA: /ˈhændiˌwɝk/, X-SAMPA: /"h{ndi%w3`k/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

handiwork (usually uncountable; plural handiworks)

1. Work done by the hands.

   The Museum of Popular Arts showcases Portugal's finest handiworks.

2. Work done personally.
   • (Can we date this quote?) - Psalms 19:1

     The firmament showeth his handiwork.

3. The result of personal efforts.
   • 2004 Fall, Laurence Claus, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, volume 28, number 1, page 119-168: 

     As a primary architect of the draft Constitution that emerged from Philadelphia in 1787, Madison substantially bore the burden of defending his handiwork in his home state.

Synonyms

• (work done by the hands): handwork

Translations

work done by the hands

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 手工 (cmn) (shǒugōng)

• Finnish: käsityö (fi)
• Portuguese: trabalho manual (pt) m, trabalho feito com as mãos (pt)