workhorse

American  

[wurk-hawrs] / ˈwɜrkˌhɔrs /

noun

1. a horse used for plowing, hauling, and other heavy labor, as distinguished from a riding horse, racehorse, etc.

2. a person who works tirelessly at a task, assumes extra duties, etc.

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workhorse British  

/ ˈwɜːkˌhɔːs /

noun

1. a horse used for nonrecreational activities

2. informal a person who takes on the greatest amount of work in a project or job

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Etymology

Origin of workhorse

First recorded in 1535–45; work + horse

Example Sentences

Customers and staff at the Workhorse bike repair café in west Cardiff gave mixed views about the cycle network in the capital.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2025

Workhorse Route 512 will travel only between Everett Station and Lynnwood, instead of feeding Northgate Station.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 8, 2024

GM agreed to sell the plant to a newly-formed entity called Lordstown Motors founded by the former top executive at an electric truck maker called Workhorse Group.

From Reuters • Jun. 27, 2023

Workhorse Group, in Loveland, Ohio, has been in business for more than a decade and is trying to transition into electric vans, but has run into difficulties.

From New York Times • Jan. 18, 2022

A tireless and enthusiastic worker in the cause of kindness to dumb animals, he organized, many years ago, and still largely manages, the Decoration-Day Workhorse Parade—an institution which has been extraordinarily beneficent in its results.

From Atlantic Classics, Second Series by Addams, Jane