"work-to-rule" meaning in English

See work-to-rule in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Etymology: Deverbal from work to rule. Etymology templates: {{deverbal|en|work to rule#Verb}} Deverbal from work to rule Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} work-to-rule (not comparable)
  1. Of or pertaining to such a protest. Tags: not-comparable
    Sense id: en-work-to-rule-en-adj-s1E-EJzp
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: work to rule [noun]

Noun

Forms: work-to-rules [plural]
Etymology: Deverbal from work to rule. Etymology templates: {{deverbal|en|work to rule#Verb}} Deverbal from work to rule Head templates: {{en-noun}} work-to-rule (plural work-to-rules)
  1. A labor protest in which employees do only the minimum work required by the rules of a workplace, following safety or other regulations to the letter in order to cause a slowdown. Translations (labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out): 按章工作 (ànzhānggōngzuò) (Chinese Mandarin), stiptheidsactie [feminine] (Dutch), modelactie [feminine] (Dutch), hidastuslakko (Finnish), italialainen lakko (Finnish), grève du zèle [feminine] (French), Dienst nach Vorschrift [masculine] (German), sciopero bianco [masculine] (Italian), strajk włoski [masculine] (Polish), huelga de celo [feminine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-work-to-rule-en-noun-AXl32fmx Categories (other): English deverbals, English entries with incorrect language header, English links with manual fragments, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Chinese translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Ukrainian translations Disambiguation of English deverbals: 26 74 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 18 82 Disambiguation of English links with manual fragments: 23 77 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 14 86 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 15 85 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 10 90 Disambiguation of Terms with Chinese translations: 14 86 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 19 81 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 12 88 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 17 83 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 14 86 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 17 83 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 13 87 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 14 86 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 15 85 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 13 87 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 11 89 Disambiguation of Terms with Ukrainian translations: 13 87
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: work to rule [noun]

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "work to rule#Verb"
      },
      "expansion": "Deverbal from work to rule",
      "name": "deverbal"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Deverbal from work to rule.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "work-to-rules",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "work-to-rule (plural work-to-rules)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "26 74",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English deverbals",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 82",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 77",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English links with manual fragments",
          "parents": [
            "Links with manual fragments",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 86",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 85",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 90",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 86",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Chinese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 81",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 88",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 83",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 86",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 83",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Greek translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 87",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 86",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 85",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 87",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 89",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 87",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A labor protest in which employees do only the minimum work required by the rules of a workplace, following safety or other regulations to the letter in order to cause a slowdown."
      ],
      "id": "en-work-to-rule-en-noun-AXl32fmx",
      "links": [
        [
          "labor",
          "labor"
        ],
        [
          "protest",
          "protest"
        ],
        [
          "employee",
          "employee"
        ],
        [
          "minimum",
          "minimum"
        ],
        [
          "workplace",
          "workplace"
        ],
        [
          "safety",
          "safety"
        ],
        [
          "regulation",
          "regulation"
        ],
        [
          "slowdown",
          "slowdown"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "zh",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "ànzhānggōngzuò",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
          "word": "按章工作"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "stiptheidsactie"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "modelactie"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
          "word": "hidastuslakko"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
          "word": "italialainen lakko"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "grève du zèle"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Dienst nach Vorschrift"
        },
        {
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "note": "λευκή απεργία f (lefkí apergía, literally “white strike”)",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sciopero bianco"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "strajk włoski"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "италья́нская забасто́вка f (italʹjánskaja zabastóvka, literally “Italian strike”)",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "huelga de celo"
        },
        {
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "note": "італі́йський страйк m (italíjsʹkyj strajk, literally “Italian strike”)",
          "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "work to rule"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "work-to-rule"
  ],
  "word": "work-to-rule"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "work to rule#Verb"
      },
      "expansion": "Deverbal from work to rule",
      "name": "deverbal"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Deverbal from work to rule.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "work-to-rule (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2008 June 11, “EL doctors threaten ‘work to rule’ action”, in Dispatch Online, South Africa, retrieved 2008-06-26:",
          "text": "Disgruntled by chronic staff shortages, doctors threatened a “work-to-rule” action at the East London Hospital Complex by the end of this week.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of or pertaining to such a protest."
      ],
      "id": "en-work-to-rule-en-adj-s1E-EJzp",
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "work to rule"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "work-to-rule"
  ],
  "word": "work-to-rule"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English deverbals",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English links with manual fragments",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Requests for review of Dutch translations",
    "Requests for review of French translations",
    "Requests for review of Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Chinese translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "work to rule#Verb"
      },
      "expansion": "Deverbal from work to rule",
      "name": "deverbal"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Deverbal from work to rule.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "work-to-rules",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "work-to-rule (plural work-to-rules)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A labor protest in which employees do only the minimum work required by the rules of a workplace, following safety or other regulations to the letter in order to cause a slowdown."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "labor",
          "labor"
        ],
        [
          "protest",
          "protest"
        ],
        [
          "employee",
          "employee"
        ],
        [
          "minimum",
          "minimum"
        ],
        [
          "workplace",
          "workplace"
        ],
        [
          "safety",
          "safety"
        ],
        [
          "regulation",
          "regulation"
        ],
        [
          "slowdown",
          "slowdown"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "work to rule"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "zh",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "ànzhānggōngzuò",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
      "word": "按章工作"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "stiptheidsactie"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "modelactie"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
      "word": "hidastuslakko"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
      "word": "italialainen lakko"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "grève du zèle"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Dienst nach Vorschrift"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "note": "λευκή απεργία f (lefkí apergía, literally “white strike”)",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sciopero bianco"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "strajk włoski"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "италья́нская забасто́вка f (italʹjánskaja zabastóvka, literally “Italian strike”)",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "huelga de celo"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "note": "італі́йський страйк m (italíjsʹkyj strajk, literally “Italian strike”)",
      "sense": "labor protest in which the minimum work is carried out"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "work-to-rule"
  ],
  "word": "work-to-rule"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English deverbals",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English links with manual fragments",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Requests for review of Dutch translations",
    "Requests for review of French translations",
    "Requests for review of Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Chinese translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "work to rule#Verb"
      },
      "expansion": "Deverbal from work to rule",
      "name": "deverbal"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Deverbal from work to rule.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "work-to-rule (not comparable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2008 June 11, “EL doctors threaten ‘work to rule’ action”, in Dispatch Online, South Africa, retrieved 2008-06-26:",
          "text": "Disgruntled by chronic staff shortages, doctors threatened a “work-to-rule” action at the East London Hospital Complex by the end of this week.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of or pertaining to such a protest."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "not-comparable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "work to rule"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "work-to-rule"
  ],
  "word": "work-to-rule"
}

Download raw JSONL data for work-to-rule meaning in English (5.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.