ppl. a.
1. Well made or fashioned, skilfully constructed or put together: a. of material things.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 341. To Westmynster þei hym brouht, Biside his fadere is laid in a toumbe wele wrouht.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 1024. Hir nose, hir mouth, and eyhe and cheke Wel wrought [bien fait].
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1739. We haue a Cite … Well wroght for the werre, wallis full high.
1538. Elyot, Dict., Add., Adfabrum, well wrought.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, XI. 202. Yet pierc’t it not his wel-wrought zone.
1640. Habington, Castara, III. (Arb.), 120. And so I in thy favour dye, No memorie For me a well-wrought tombe prepare.
1723. Mandeville, Fable Bees (ed. 2), I. 185. From Caves … we are come to warm and well wrought Houses.
1732. Pope, Ess. Man, ii. 208. Tho’ each by turns, the other’s bound invade, As, in some well-wrought picture, light and shade.
1864. Earl Derby, Iliad, V. 22. Idæus from the well-wrought chariot sprang.
b. of immaterial things, esp. literary or musical composition. Also with out.
c. 1450. Towneley Myst., xvi. 370. This is well wroght gere that euer may be.
1668. Dryden, Dram. Poesie, 20. The Plots of their Plays being narrow, and the persons few, one of their Acts was written in a less compass then one of our well wrought Scenes.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 11, ¶ 4. In Answer to your well-wrought Tale, I will give you … the History of Inkle and Yarico.
1849. Helps, Friends in C., II. i. (1854), I. 269. A store of goodly thoughts in well-wrought words.
1876. Mus. Times, 1 June, 492/1. Concluding his performance with a well-wrought-out fugue on this subject.
† 2. Of ale: Thoroughly ‘worked’ or fermented.
1694. Salmon, Bate’s Dispens. (1713), 26/1. Put them in new well-wrought Beer or Ale.
† 3. Of a convert: Fully persuaded. Obs.
1684. I. Mather, Rec. Illustr. Provid., ix. 291. He is … judged to be a well wrought Convert and real Christian.
