day laborer

noun

: one who works for daily wages especially as an unskilled laborer

Examples of day laborer in a Sentence

They hire day laborers to pick the apples.

Recent Examples on the Web

While details of the scale and scope remain uncertain, immigrant communities are bracing for an impact similar to Los Angeles earlier this summer, when there were large-scale raids on workplaces, and street vendors and day laborers were grabbed by federal agents. —Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025

Home Depots have become prime locations for immigration enforcement as federal agents target day laborers in search of work. —Jeremy Mikula, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2025

Home Depot does not have a formal relationship with day laborers, but their history runs deep. —Alina Selyukh, NPR, 19 Aug. 2025

Developers encroached with high-rise condos on all sides as the neighborhood transitioned from a commercial train depot with day laborers, mechanics, and seamstresses to trendy and touristy. —Carlos Frías, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

day laborer

noun

: one who works by the day or for daily wages especially as an unskilled laborer