Conversion is one of the most productive ways of modern English

word-building. It consists in making a new word from an existing

word by changing the category of a part of speech. The new word has
a meaning which differs from that of the original one though it can
more or less be easily associated with it.
Nowadays conversion is accepted as one of the major
ways of enriching English vocabulary with new words.
Normally, a word changes its syntactic function without
any shift in lexical meaning. For example both in
yellow leaves and the leaves were turning yellow the
adjective denotes colour. Yet, in the sentence “The
leaves yellowed” the converted unit no longer denotes
colour, but the process of changing colour.
Not every case of noun and verb (or verb and adjective,
or adjective and noun) is the result of conversion. There
are numerous pairs of words, as drink – to drink, love
– to love, work – to work which do not occur to
conversion but coincide as a result of certain historical
processes (dropping of ending, simplification of stems,
etc.).
From Middle English drinken, from Old English drincan, from Proto-West Germanic *
drinkan. From Middle English drink, drinke, from Old English drynċ, from Proto-Germanic
 *drunkiz, *drankiz.

The verb is from Middle English loven, luvien, from Old English lufian, from P

roto-West Germanic *lubōn. From Middle English love, luve, from Old English lufu, from P
roto-West Germanic *lubu, from Proto-Germanic *lubō.

From Middle English werken and worchen, from Old English wyrċan and wircan, from P

roto-Germanic *wurkijaną , from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ. From Middle English work, 
werk, from Old English weorc, from Proto-Germanic *werką, from Proto-Indo-European *
wérǵom.
 CONVERSION

Traditional: to use of a word Occasional: the use of a word

is recorded in the dictionary:
a cook – to cook; an aim – to
aim.
isn’t registered by the dictionary;
occurs momentarily, through the
immediate need of the situation,
brings out the meaning more
vividly: If anybody oranges me
again tonight, I’ll knock his face
off.
The meanings of the converted word and of the word from which it
was made can be associated. These associations can be classified:
1) the noun is the name of a tool, the verb denotes an action
performed by this tool. To nail, to hammer, to pin, to comb, to
pencil, to brush;
2) the noun is the name of an animal, the verb denotes an action
or aspect of behavior, considered typical of this animal. To dog, to
rat, to wolf, to monkey;
3) the noun – the name of a part of the human body, the verb – an
action performed by it: to shoulder, to leg, to elbow, to hand;
4) the noun denotes the name of a profession or occupation, the
verb – activity typical of it: to nurse, to cook, to maid;
5) the noun – the name of a place and the verb – The process of
occupying the place or putting smth. or smb. in it: to room, to
place, to cage;
6) the noun – the name of a container, verb –act of putting smth.
within the container. To pocket, to can, to bottle;
7) the noun – the name of a meal, verb – the process of taking it.
To lunch, to supper.