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

It was in 1943 that Tom escaped one of the Nazis' forced labour camps on Jersey.

From BBC • May 5, 2026

Ma cautioned that Japan has "homework" to do, including on production capacity, skilled labour, second- and third-tier suppliers, certification, testing, maintenance support and the ability to "deliver on time".

From Barron's • May 3, 2026

Meanwhile, labour unions say staff in many cases could be pressured by their employers to volunteer to work or risk their employment contracts.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Iran's deputy labour minister said that 191,000 people had filed for unemployment after losing their jobs due to the impacts of the war.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

They were content to eat the results of all this hard labour, but they were unwilling to do their full share of the work.

From "The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa" by Alexander Mccall Smith