Main Entry: ¹la·bor

Variant(s): or British la·bour \ˈlā-bər\

Function: noun

: the physical activities involved in parturition consisting essentially of a prolonged series of involuntary contractions of the uterine musculature together with both reflex and voluntary contractions of the abdominal wall <drugs that induce labor> <went into labor after a fall> ; also : the period of time during which such labor takes place