labour

American  

[ley-ber] / ˈleɪ bər /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. labor.

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labour British  

/ 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

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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

See -or ¹.

Other Word Forms

• antilabour adjective
• labouringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of labour

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

Example Sentences

In 1943, members of the Dutch Resistance bombed the Amsterdam civil registry office in an attempt to destroy records, to prevent the Nazis from identifying Jews and others marked for persecution, arrest or forced labour.

From Literature

"However, only 15 percent of firms that use AI cite reducing labour costs as a factor, and this is insufficient to offset the overall positive effects observed to date," they said.

From Barron's

This could mean a shortage of labour in the years to come.

From BBC

A number of Tesla staff spoke to AFP outside the plant, all asking not to be named given the sensitivity of the labour issues at play.

From Barron's

The states have fewer labour law restraints than in the West and total alignment between airlines and airport operators.

From Barron's