Showing results for "labour"

• a variation of labor.

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

But he admitted Labour had not given enough thought to how the world had changed since the party was last in power in the 1990s.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

Ann Keen, a former Labour health minister, said her newborn son was abruptly taken away after she gave birth in Wales in 1966 when she was 17.

From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026

Yet even these honorable departures failed to get Labour to reconsider.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026

A Welsh Labour source close to the UK government described the cut as "minuscule" on Tuesday.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

He puts on his tie and his cap and goes to the Labour Exchange to sign for the dole.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt