worker

American  

[wur-ker] / ˈwɜr kər /

noun

1. a person or thing that works.

2. a laborer or employee.

   steel workers.

3. a person engaged in a particular field, activity, or cause.

   a worker in psychological research; a worker for the Republican Party.

4. Entomology.

   1. a member of a caste of sexually underdeveloped, nonreproductive bees, specialized to collect food and maintain the hive.

   2. a similar member of a specialized caste of ants, termites, or wasps.

5. Printing. one of a set of electrotyped plates used to print from (molder ).

6. any of several rollers covered with card clothing that work in combination with the stripper rollers and the cylinder in the carding of fibers.

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worker British  

/ ˈwɜːkə /

noun

1. a person or thing that works, usually at a specific job

   a good worker

   a research worker

2. an employee in an organization, as opposed to an employer or manager

3. a manual labourer or other employee working in a manufacturing or other industry

4. any other member of the working class

5. a sterile female member of a colony of bees, ants, or wasps that forages for food, cares for the larvae, etc

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Other Word Forms

• nonworker noun
• subworker noun
• workerless adjective

Etymology

Origin of worker

First recorded in 1300–50, worker is from the Middle English word werker, worcher. See work, -er ¹

Example Sentences

The median amount American workers have saved for retirement is $955.

From MarketWatch

The UC workers’ lawsuit will continue to be litigated in federal district court, where it is in the discovery process and eventually could move to trial.

From Los Angeles Times

The law quadrupled the deduction for state and local tax bills and also added new deductions, including one for senior citizens and others for tipped and overtime workers.

From MarketWatch

The law quadrupled the deduction for state and local tax bills and also added new deductions, including one for senior citizens and others for tipped and overtime workers.

From MarketWatch

Volunteers and arena workers stood at the top of the concourse with no open seats left to claim.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• employee
• laborer
• staff