labour

[ley-ber]

noun

Chiefly British.

1. labor.

labour

/ ˈleɪbə /

noun

1. productive work, esp physical toil done for wages

2. 1. the people, class, or workers involved in this, esp in contrast to management, capital, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a labour dispute

      labour relations

3. 1. difficult or arduous work or effort

   2. ( in combination )

      labour-saving

4. a particular job or task, esp of a difficult nature

5. 1. the process or effort of childbirth or the time during which this takes place

   2. ( as modifier )

      labour pains

6. something done for pleasure rather than gain

verb

1. (intr) to perform labour; work

2. (intr; foll by for, etc) to strive or work hard (for something)

3. to be burdened (by) or be at a disadvantage (because of)

   to labour under a misapprehension

4. (intr) to make one's way with difficulty

5. (tr) to deal with or treat too persistently

   to labour a point

6. (intr) (of a woman) to be in labour

7. (intr) (of a ship) to pitch and toss

Spelling Note

See -or ¹.

Other Word Forms

• antilabour adjective
• labouringly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of labour¹

C13: via Old French from Latin labor; perhaps related to lābī to fall

Example Sentences

Bets on a cut surged in late November after several of the bank's policymakers said they backed lower borrowing costs as they were more concerned about the flagging labour market than stubbornly high inflation.

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The report also noted that the Russian arms industry is struggling to find enough skilled labour "to support the projected rates of production needed to sustain Russia's war aims".

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"But we haven't seen the fruits of their labour yet I think that will come through next year."

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Remittances from hundreds of thousands of Kyrgyz labour migrants in Russia make up around a quarter of Kyrgyzstan's GDP, according to the World Bank.

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Interesting locations, cheap labour costs and a generous cash rebate scheme have made the central European country of 9.5 million people an attractive shooting location.

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