/werr"keuhr/ , n.
1. a person or thing that works.
2. a laborer or employee: steel workers.
3. a person engaged in a particular field, activity, or cause: a worker in psychological research; a worker for the Republican party.
4. Entomol.
a. a member of a caste of sexually underdeveloped, nonreproductive bees, specialized to collect food and maintain the hive. See illus. under bee .
b. a similar member of a specialized caste of ants, termites, or wasps.
5. Print. one of a set of electrotyped plates used to print from (contrasted with molder ).
6. any of several rollers covered with card clothing that work in combination with the stripper rollers and the cylinder in the carding of fibers.
[ 1300-50; ME werker, worcher. See WORK, -ER 1 ]