laborer

American  

[ley-ber-er] / ˈleɪ bər ər /

noun

1. a person engaged in work that requires bodily strength rather than skill or training.

   a laborer in the field.

2. any worker.

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Other Word Forms

• underlaborer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of laborer

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at labor, -er ¹

Explanation

A laborer is a worker, especially a person who does some kind of physical work. A stone mason is a laborer, but you probably wouldn't call a poet a laborer. In the old days, the word laborer implied an unskilled or menial worker, like a day laborer on a farm who might be hired at an hourly rate to haul rocks out of a field, or a street paver's assistant. Today, a laborer is thought of as someone who works with her hands, often outside. Laborer comes from labor, in Old French "work, exertion, or task," from the Latin laborem, "toil, exertion, or fatigue."

Example Sentences

According to tradition, Caedmon worked as a laborer at Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2026

This laborer wants to know what you mean by labor becoming tokenized.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

A pair of blue and yellow earplugs dangle on Jose’s neck while waiting for work as a day laborer out of the Home Depot in Cypress Park.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

The glamour of Wall Street had replaced the dignity of the skilled laborer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

For everyday work, Kira helped in the weaving shed, picking up the scraps and leavings, but her twisted leg diminished her value as a laborer and even, in the future, as a mate.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

Related Words

• hand
• manual worker
• worker