labor
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1la·bor
noun \ˈlā-bər\Definition of LABOR
1
a : expenditure of physical or mental effort especially when difficult or compulsory b (1) : human activity that provides the goods or services in an economy (2) : the services performed by workers for wages as distinguished from those rendered by entrepreneurs for profits c : the physical activities (as dilation of the cervix and contraction of the uterus) involved in giving birth; also : the period of such labor
2
: an act or process requiring labor : task
3
: a product of labor
4
a : an economic group comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages b (1) : workers employed in an establishment (2) : workers available for employment c : the organizations or officials representing groups of workers
5
usually Labour : the Labour party of the United Kingdom or of another part of the Commonwealth of Nations
See Examples of LABOR
- A day's labor should get the job done.
- Getting the job done will require many hours of difficult labor.
- He rested from his labors.
- The cost of repairing the car includes parts and labor.
- an area in which there is a shortage of cheap labor
- The proposed new law is opposed by organized labor.
- She went into labor this morning.
- She has been in labor for several hours.
- She began to have labor pains this morning.
- She had a difficult labor.
Origin of LABOR
Middle English, from Anglo-French labur, from Latin labor; perhaps akin to Latin labare to totter, labi to slip — more at sleep
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to LABOR
Other Business Terms
2labor
verbla·boredla·bor·ing \-b(ə-)riŋ\
Definition of LABOR
intransitive verb
1
: to exert one's powers of body or mind especially with painful or strenuous effort : work
2
: to move with great effort <the truck labored up the hill>
3
: to be in the labor of giving birth
4
: to suffer from some disadvantage or distress <labor under a delusion>
5
of a ship : to pitch or roll heavily
transitive verb
1
archaic a : to spend labor on or produce by labor b : to strive to effect or achieve
2
: to treat or work out in often laborious detail <labor the obvious>
4
: to cause to labor
Examples of LABOR
- Workers labored in the vineyard.
- He labored for several years as a miner.
- She has labored in vain to convince them to accept her proposal.
- We should honor those who labored so long to make the truth known.
- The truck labored up the hill.
- I have been laboring through this book for months.
- She has a tendency to labor the obvious.
First Known Use of LABOR
14th century
3labor
adjectiveDefinition of LABOR
1
: of or relating to labor
2
capitalized : of, relating to, or constituting a political party held to represent the interests of workers or made up largely of organized labor groups
First Known Use of LABOR
1640
Other Business Terms
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Next Word in the Dictionary: laboratorial
Previous Word in the Dictionary: lab–lab
All Words Near: labor
Previous Word in the Dictionary: lab–lab
All Words Near: labor
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