labor
productive activity, especially for the sake of economic gain.
the body of persons engaged in such activity, especially those working for wages.
this body of persons considered as a class (distinguished from management and capital).
physical or mental work, especially of a hard or fatiguing kind; toil.
a job or task done or to be done.
the physical effort and periodic uterine contractions of childbirth.
the interval from the onset of these contractions to childbirth.
(initial capital letter)Also called Labor Department .Informal. the Department of Labor.
to strive, as toward a goal; work hard (often followed by for): to labor for peace.
to act, behave, or function at a disadvantage (usually followed by under): to labor under a misapprehension.
to be in the actual process of giving birth.
to roll or pitch heavily, as a ship.
to develop or dwell on in excessive detail: Don't labor the point.
to burden or tire: to labor the reader with unnecessary detail.
British Dialect. to work or till (soil or the like).
of or relating to workers, their associations, or working conditions: labor reforms.
Origin of labor
1- Also especially British, la·bour .
word story For labor
The Latin etymology for labor is obscure: the noun may be related to the verb lābī (which has a long ā ) “to move smoothly, slide” (commonly with implication of downward movement). Lābī in its turn may be related to labāre (with a short a in the root syllable) “to be unsteady on one’s feet, falter, totter.” These derivatives of lāb- and lab- may be related to the Latin nouns labium (the source of English labial ) and labrum, both meaning “lip” and, outside Latin, to the Greek noun lobós “lobe (of the ear, liver, or lung), pod (of a vegetable), slip (of a plant)” (and source of English lobe ).
Other words for labor
2 | working people, working class |
4 | exertion |
6 | parturition, delivery |
9 | drudge |
14 | belabor, overdo |
Opposites for labor
Other words from labor
- la·bor·ing·ly, adverb
- la·bor·less, adjective
- an·ti·la·bor, adjective
- non·la·bor, adjective
- outlabor, verb (used with object)
- o·ver·la·bor, verb (used with object)
- pre·la·bor, noun, verb (used without object)
- pro·la·bor, adjective
- un·la·bor·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use labor in a sentence
They may not receive public acclaim, but their pride in their work is as intense as their labors.
Streisand labors under another burden, which is that she is one of the last of the old-school gay icons.
Streisand’s Gay Sex Problem, and the Death of the Gay Icon | Tim Teeman | May 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHis only regret is that defeat forced him to flee in the midst of his labors.
Holocaust Horrors Haunt the Films ‘Ida’ And ‘The German Doctor’ | Jack Schwartz | May 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe plantation model could never be as efficient as labors of free will.
The ‘12 Years a Slave’ Book Shows Slavery As Even More Appalling Than In the Film | Jimmy So | October 18, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTMeanwhile, behind the scenes, Kerry labors discreetly and stubbornly, this week displaying nerves of steel.
Behind the Scenes of the E.U. Settlement Announcement | Noga Tarnopolsky | July 22, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
But while the tenth man still labors, the machine, though creaking with its dislocation, can still go on.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice | Stephen LeacockIt was patent, however, that she felt herself entitled to physical comforts after the labors of her day.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonCalmly we seated ourselves in the "arm chair," and continued our labors upon our magnificent Pictorial.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousShe lived in the study with him, became the companion of all his thoughts, and his assistant in all his labors.
Madame Roland, Makers of History | John S. C. AbbottHis labors were indefatigable, and his works possess great merit.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
British Dictionary definitions for labor
/ (ˈleɪbə) /
the US spelling of labour
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for labor
[ lā′bər ]
The process by which the birth of a mammal occurs, beginning with contractions of the uterus and ending with the expulsion of the fetus and the placenta.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for labor
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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