workhorse

noun work·horse \ ˈwərk-ˌhȯrs \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Definition of workhorse

1 : a horse used chiefly for labor as distinguished from driving, riding, or racing

2 a (1) : a person who performs most of the work of a group task

(2) : a hardworking person

b : something that is markedly useful, durable, or dependable

c : horse 7

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Recent Examples of workhorse from the Web

Lockheed Martin , Turkey and F-35s From its inception in the 1990s, the F-35 was touted as a next-generation fighter plane for the 21st century that would replace the workhorse F-16, F-15 and other older fighter aircraft.

— sean savage, Jewish Journal, "Why is Washington seeking to block the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey?," 4 June 2018
Zayas has been the workhorse for Hartford Public, going 5-1 in seven starts, but classmate Chris Rosario has been an anchor on defense and in the lineup.

— sean begin, courant.com, "High School Baseball: For Hartford Public, A Different Measure Of Success," 26 May 2018
Acer is billing the Chromebook Spin 15 as a media consumption device, as well as a capable and affordable workhorse.

— valentina palladino, Ars Technica, "Acer’s Chromebook Spin 13 tempts professionals to use Chrome OS at work," 24 May 2018
Uber also unveiled design specifications at its Elevate conference for the electric aircraft that will serve as the workhorses for uberAIR, which the company hopes to fully launch by 2023.

— larry greenemeier, Scientific American, "Here's What's Needed for Self-Flying Taxis and Delivery Drones to Really Take Off," 15 May 2018
Elon Musk’s SpaceX will try again today to launch its new workhorse version of the Falcon 9 rocket that will carry a communications satellite into orbit for Bangladesh.

— mark skoneki, OrlandoSentinel.com, "SpaceX will try again today for rocket launch," 11 May 2018
Sophomore tailback Jonathan Taylor gives the Badgers an every-down workhorse with breakaway speed, and junior Quintez Cephus—who was limited this spring after a right leg injury cut short his sophomore season—has all-conference potential.

— chris johnson, SI.com, "Post-Spring Top 25: Resetting the Pecking Order at the Offseason's Midpoint," 10 May 2018
Armed with a trusty Speed Graphic (the workhorse camera of its day) Lowry was about to make a photo of the Kentucky Derby.

— michael clevenger, The Courier-Journal, "Courier Journal's 2018 Kentucky Derby photo pays homage to Fighting Finish," 6 May 2018
Senior Kevin Rakowski has been the workhorse on the mound with sophomore Kevin Tiziani a reliable No. 2 option.

— sean begin, courant.com, "High School Baseball: Windsor Relying On Experience Through Season's First Half," 5 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'workhorse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of workhorse

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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WORKHORSE Defined for English Language Learners

workhorse

noun

Definition of workhorse for English Language Learners

: a dependable person who does a lot of work
: a dependable machine or vehicle that is used to do a lot of work

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See words that rhyme with workhorse Britannica English: Translation of workhorse for Arabic speakers

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Definition of workhorse

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