laborer

American  

[ley-ber-er] / ˈleɪ bər ər /

noun

1. a person engaged in work that requires bodily strength rather than skill or training.

   a laborer in the field.

2. any worker.

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Other Word Forms

• underlaborer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of laborer

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at labor, -er ¹

Explanation

A laborer is a worker, especially a person who does some kind of physical work. A stone mason is a laborer, but you probably wouldn't call a poet a laborer. In the old days, the word laborer implied an unskilled or menial worker, like a day laborer on a farm who might be hired at an hourly rate to haul rocks out of a field, or a street paver's assistant. Today, a laborer is thought of as someone who works with her hands, often outside. Laborer comes from labor, in Old French "work, exertion, or task," from the Latin laborem, "toil, exertion, or fatigue."

Example Sentences

Lauren Michel Wilfong, a lawyer with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said they learned of Villegas’ recent arrest after receiving a voicemail from the detention center around midday Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Palmira Figueroa, director of communications for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, said 13 people were detained in the raid.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

Adopt a Day Labor Corner — The National Day Laborer Organizing Network is building a network of volunteers who regularly show up to a location where day laborers gather.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2025

Vicente helped the National Day Laborer Organizing Network start Radio Jornalera in Pasadena in 2019 during Trump’s first term to help Spanish-speaking immigrants understand their rights.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2025

Hood's pathos culminates in "The Song of the Shirt," "The Lay of the Laborer," and "The Bridge of Sighs."

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 06, No. 37, November, 1860 by Various

Related Words

• hand
• manual worker
• worker