sb. and a. [OE. weorcdæʓ (= Du. werkdag, OHG., MHG. werctac, G. werktag, ON. verkdagr) does not seem to have survived; ME. werkday is prob. a new formation on WORK sb. + DAY sb.1, or ad. ON.; cf. WORKADAY.]
A. sb. A day on which work is ordinarily performed; a week-day.
c. 1430. Freemasonry (1847), 270. That the mason worche apon the werk day.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 522/2. Werkday, feria.
1488. Somerset Med. Wills (1901), 279. I wold my prest shuld sing in them the werke daies during the 12 monethis.
1535. Coverdale, Ezek. xlvi. 1. Ye dore of the ynnermer courte … shall be shut the vj. worke dayes.
1548–9. Bk. Com. Prayer, Communion, rubric, When the holy Communion is celebrate, on the workeday.
1563. Homilies, II. Of Place & Time of Prayer, I. 139. They vse all dayes a lyke, workedayes and holydayes are all one.
a. 1629. Hinde, J. Bruen, xlvii. (1641), 153. Neither holy-day, nor work-day.
1706. Mrs. Centlivre, Platonic Lady, I. ii. Wks. 1760, II. 194. She … paid the Labourers their Wages on Work-days, and took a Jigg with them on Holy-days.
1824. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. I. Hannah, 22. We (the privileged) see on a work-day the names which the sabbath announces to the generality.
¶ Used for DAYWORK 2.
1670. Blount, Law Dict. (1691), When they performed their Boons or Work-days to their Lord.
B. attrib. passing into adj. Belonging to or characteristic of a work-day; performed, worn, etc., on a work-day; also fig. = WORKADAY B.
c. 1500. Ely Episc. Rec. (1891), 211. I give to Edmund Garred my worke day gown.
1540. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), VI. 103. My warkday gowne.
1563. in Strype, Ann. Ref. (1709), I. xxxv. 357. My Visitation Sermons and Workday Sermons.
1622. Knaresb. Wills (Surtees), II. 77. My woorkday gowne … thre woorkday aprens, one woorkday band.
1808. Scott, Marm., VI. iii. Ne’er, in work-day world, was seen A form so witching fair.
1831. G. P. R. James, Philip Aug., xl. [It] relieves the mind from petty calculation and workday cares.
1849. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., II. 72. I saw him … after unloading the waggon, in his workday clothes.
1859. Kingsley, Misc., I. 16. Unfit for this workday world.
1889. Corbett, Monk, xiv. 195. This dull work-day soldier.
