Online Etymology Dictionary

workaround (n.): by 1987, from work (v.) + around.
workbook (n.): 1910, from work (n.) + book (n.).
worker (n.): as a type of bee, 1747, agent noun from work (v.).
workflow (n.): 1950, from work (n.) + flow (n.).
workforce (n.): 1961, from work (n.) + force (n.).
workhorse (n.): 1540s, from work (n.) + horse (n.). Figurative use by 1949.
workload (n.): 1946, from work (n.) + load (n.).
workmanlike (adj.): "efficient, no-nonsense," 1739, from workman (see work (v.)) + -like.
workmanship (n.): late 14c., "performance of labor," from workman (see work (v.)) + -ship. Meaning "skill as a workman" is from 1520s.
workout (n.): 1909, "boxing bout for practice," from work + out. General sense of "spell of strenuous physical exercise" is attested by 1922. Verbal phrase work out "solve" (a problem, etc.) is from c.1600. Sense of "succeed" attested by 1909.
workplace (n.): 1828, from work (n.) + place (n.).
worksheet (n.): 1925, from work (n.) + sheet (n.).
workshop (n.): 1580s, from work (n.) + shop (n.). Meaning "gathering for study, etc.," is from 1937.
workstation (n.): also work-station, 1950, from work (n.) + station. Computer sense is from 1977.
world (n.): Old English woruld, worold "human existence, the affairs of life," also "the human race, mankind," a word peculiar to Germanic languages (cf. Old Saxon werold, Old Frisian warld, Dutch wereld, Old Norse verold, Old High German weralt, German Welt), with a literal sense of "age of man," from Proto-Germanic *wer "man" (Old English wer, still in werewolf; see virile) + *ald "age" (see old).

Originally "life on earth, this world (as opposed to the afterlife)," sense extended to "the known world," then to "the physical world in the broadest sense, the universe" (c.1200). In Old English gospels, the commonest word for "the physical world," was Middangeard (Old Norse Midgard), literally "the middle enclosure" (cf. yard), which is rooted in Germanic cosmology. Greek kosmos in its ecclesiastical sense of "world of people" sometimes was rendered in Gothic as manaseþs, literally "seed of man."

The usual Old Norse word was heimr, literally "abode" (see home). Words for "world" in some other Indo-European languages derive from the root for "bottom, foundation" (e.g. Irish domun, Old Church Slavonic duno, related to English deep); the Lithuanian word is pasaulis, from pa- "under" + saule "sun." Original sense in world without end, translating Latin saecula saeculorum, and in worldly. Latin saeculum can mean both "age" and "world," as can Greek aion. World power in the geopolitical sense first recorded 1900. World-class is attested from 1950, originally of Olympic athletes.
world bank: 1930, originally of the Bank for International Settlements, set up in Basle by the League of Nations. The modern World Bank was created in 1944.
world war: attested by 1898 as a speculation.
If through fear of entangling alliances the United States should return the Philippines to Spain, Mr. Page asserted that the predatory nations would swoop down upon them and a world war would result. ["New York Times," Dec. 16, 1898]
Applied to the first one almost as soon as it began in 1914 ("England has Thrown Lot with France in World War" -- headline, "Pittsburgh Press," Aug. 2, 1914). World War I coined 1939, replacing Great War as the most common name for it; First World War, World War II, and Second World War all also are from 1939.
World-Wide Web (n.): also World Wide Web, 1990.
worldly (adj.): Old English woruldlic, from the roots of world and like (adj.). A common Germanic compound (cf. Old Frisian wraldlik, Old Saxon weroldlik, Middle Dutch wereldlik, German weltlich, Old Norse veraldligr). Worldly-wise is recorded from c.1400.
worldview (n.): 1858, from world + view (n.); translating German weltanschauung.
worldwide (adj.): 1630s, from world + wide.
worm (n.): Old English wurm, variant of wyrm "serpent, dragon," also in later Old English "earthworm," from Proto-Germanic *wurmiz (cf. Old Saxon, Old High German, German wurm, Old Frisian and Dutch worm, Old Norse ormr, Gothic waurms "serpent, worm"), from PIE *wrmi-/*wrmo- "worm" (cf. Greek rhomos, Latin vermis "worm," Old Russian vermie "insects," Lithuanian varmas "insect, gnat"), possibly from root *wer- (3) "turn" (see versus).

The ancient category of these was much more extensive than the modern, scientific, one and included serpents, scorpions, maggots, and the supposed causes of certain diseases. For substitution of -o- for -u-, see come. As an insult meaning "abject, miserable person" it dates from Old English.
worm (v.): "to move like a worm," c.1600, from worm (n.). In figurative senses attested from 1620s, suggesting patient, sinuous progress. Related: Wormed; worming.
wormhole (n.): 1590s, "hole made by a burrowing insect" (in fruit, etc.), from worm (n.) + hole (n.). Astrophysics sense is attested from 1957.
wormwood (n.): c.1400, folk etymology of Old English wermod "wormwood," related to vermouth, but the ultimate etymology is unknown. Cf. Old Saxon wermoda, Dutch wermoet, Old High German werimuota, German Wermut. Weekley suggests wer "man" + mod "courage," from its early use as an aphrodisiac. Figurative use, however, is usually in reference to its bitter aftertaste. Perhaps because of the folk etymology, it formerly was used to protect clothes and bedding from moths and fleas. "A medecyne for an hawke that hath mites. Take the Iuce of wormewode and put it ther thay be and thei shall dye." ["Book of St. Albans," 1486]
worn (adj.): c.1500, from adjectival use of past participle of wear (v.); from Old English geworen (see wear). Worn-out "exhausted by use" is attested from 1610s in reference to things, c.1700 in reference to persons.
worrisome (adj.): 1845, from worry + -some. Related: Worrisomely.
worry (v.): Old English wyrgan "to strangle," from West Germanic *wurgijanan (cf. Middle Dutch worghen, Dutch worgen, Old High German wurgen, German würgen "to strangle," Old Norse virgill "rope"), from PIE *wergh- "to turn" (see wring). Related: Worrisome; worrying.

The oldest sense was obsolete in English after c.1600; meaning "annoy, bother, vex," first recorded 1670s, developed from that of "harass by rough or severe treatment" (1550s), as of dogs or wolves attacking sheep. Meaning "to cause mental distress or trouble" is attested from 1822; intransitive sense of "to feel anxiety or mental trouble" is first recorded 1860.
worry (n.): 1804, from worry (v.).
worry wart (n.): 1956, from comic strip "Out Our Way" by U.S. cartoonist J.R. Williams (1888-1957). According to those familiar with the strip, Worry Wart was the name of a character who caused others to worry, which is the inverse of the current colloquial meaning.
worse (adj.): Old English wiersa, wyrsa, from Proto-Germanic *wers-izon- (cf. Old Saxon wirs, Old Norse verri, Swedish värre, Old Frisian wirra, Old High German wirsiro, Gothic wairsiza "worse"), comparative of PIE *wers- "to confuse, mix up" (cf. Old High German werra "strife," Old Saxon werran "to entangle, compound;" see war). Used as a comparative of bad, evil, ill or as the opposite of better. Phrase for better or for worse is attested from late 14c. (for bet, for wers); to change for the worse is recorded from c.1400.
worsen (v.): "to make worse," Old English wyrsian, from the root of worse. The reflexive sense of "to get worse, become worse off" first attested 1795 and elevated into literary use c.1800-30, where formerly worse (v.) had served. Related: Worsened; worsening.
worser (adj.): double comparative; see worse + -er (2). Attested from late 15c. and common 16c.-17c. Worsers "(one's) inferiors" is from 1580s.
worship (n.): Old English worðscip, wurðscip (Anglian), weorðscipe (West Saxon) "condition of being worthy, honor, renown," from weorð "worthy" (see worth) + -scipe (see -ship). Sense of "reverence paid to a supernatural or divine being" is first recorded c.1300. The original sense is preserved in the title worshipful (c.1300).
worship (v.): c.1200, from worship (n.). Related: Worshipped; worshipping.
worshipper (n.): late 14c., agent noun from worship (v.).
worst (adj.): Old English wyrresta, from Proto-Germanic *wers-ista- (cf. Old Saxon wirsista, Old Norse verstr, Old Frisian wersta, Old High German wirsisto), superlative of PIE *wers- "to confuse, mix up" (see worse). Phrase in the worst way (1839) is from American English sense of "most severely."
worst (v.): "damage, inflict loss upon," c.1600, from worst (adj.). Related: Worsted; worsting.
worsted (n.): woolen fabric made from twisted yarn, late 13c., from Worstead (Old English Wurðestede), town in Norfolk where the cloth originally was made.
wort (n.): "a plant," Old English wyrt "root, herb," from Proto-Germanic *wurtiz (cf. Old Saxon wurt, Old Norse, Danish urt, Old High German wurz "plant, herb," German Wurz, Gothic waurts, Old Norse rot "root"), from PIE root *wrad- "twig, root" (see radish). St. John's wort attested from 15c.
worth (adj.): Old English weorþ "significant, valuable, of value; valued, appreciated, highly thought-of, deserving, meriting; honorable, noble, of high rank; suitable for, proper, fit, capable," from Proto-Germanic *werthaz "toward, opposite," hence "equivalent, worth" (cf. Old Frisian werth, Old Norse verðr, Dutch waard, Old High German werd, German wert, Gothic wairþs "worth, worthy"), perhaps a derivative of PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," from root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus). Old Church Slavonic vredu, Lithuanian vertas "worth" are Germanic loan-words. From c.1200 as "equivalent to, of the value of, valued at; having importance equal to; equal in power to."
worth (v.): "to come to be," now chiefly, if not solely, in the archaic expression woe worth the day, present subjunctive of Old English weorðan "to become, be, to befall," from Proto-Germanic *werthan "to become" (cf. Old Saxon, Old Dutch werthan, Old Norse verða, Old Frisian wertha, Old High German werdan, German werden, Gothic wairþan "to become"), literally "to turn into," from Proto-Germanic *werthaz "toward, opposite," perhaps a derivative of PIE *wert- "to turn, wind," from root *wer- (3) "to turn, bend" (see versus).
worth (n.): Old English weorþ "value, price, price paid; worth, worthiness, merit; equivalent value amount, monetary value," from worth (adj.). From c.1200 as "excellence, nobility."
worthless (adj.): 1580s, from worth (1) + -less. Related: Worthlessly; worthlessness.
worthwhile (adj.): 1884, from worth (adj.) + while. Phrase worth the while is attested from late 14c.
worthy (adj.): mid-13c., "having merit," from worth (n.) + -y (2). Old English had weorþful in this sense. Attested from c.1300 as a noun meaning "person of merit" (especially in Nine Worthies, famous men of history and legend: Joshua, David, Judas Maccabæus, Hector, Alexander, Julius Cæsar, Arthur, Charlemagne, Godfrey of Bouillon -- three Jews, three gentiles, three Christians).
wot (v.): "to know" (archaic), from Old English wat, first and third person singular present indicative of witan "to know," from Proto-Germanic *wait (see wit (v.)).
would: Old English wolde, past tense of willan "to will" (see will (v.)). Would-be (adj.) "wishing, pretending" is first recorded c.1300.
wound (n.): Old English wund "hurt, injury," from Proto-Germanic *wundaz (cf. Old Saxon wunda, Old Norse und, Old Frisian wunde, Old High German wunta, German wunde "wound"), perhaps from PIE root *wen- "to beat, wound."
wound (v.): Old English wundian, from the source of wound (n.). Cognate with Old Frisian wundia, Middle Dutch and Dutch wonden, Old High German wunton, German verwunden, Gothic gawundon. Figurative use from c.1200. Related: Wounded; wounding.