Main Entry: ¹la·bor

Pronunciation: \ˈlā-bər\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French labur, from Latin labor; perhaps akin to Latin labare to totter, labi to slip — more at sleep

Date: 14th century

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

synonyms see work