workhorse

[ wurk-hawrs ]

noun

1. a horse used for plowing, hauling, and other heavy labor, as distinguished from a riding horse, racehorse, etc.
2. a person who works tirelessly at a task, assumes extra duties, etc.

workhorse

/ ˈwɜːkˌhɔːs /

noun

1. a horse used for nonrecreational activities
2. informal.
   a person who takes on the greatest amount of work in a project or job

Word History and Origins

Origin of workhorse¹

First recorded in 1535–45; work + horse

Example Sentences

It’s the type of all-purpose workhorse that belongs in every household because it’s got uses in basically every room—it can even be used to spot clean carpets.

From Popular-Science

Algae, however, do this very efficiently, thanks to a protein structure called the pyrenoid—and Martin Jonikas ’04 believes this understudied cellular workhorse could transform food production.

From MIT Technology Review

The military’s workhorse cargo aircraft, the Boeing C-17 Globemaster, can fly a tank to Afghanistan in about a dozen hours, but rocket delivery would be far faster.

From Popular-Science

The volume refers to how much Indiana has used her — she’s third in the league in minutes played among all players, ahead of workhorses like Courtney Vandersloot and Skylar Diggins-Smith.

From FiveThirtyEight

This gentle workhorse of an exfoliant can clear scalps with dry, combination, or oily skin.

From Popular-Science

Through all of this, however, Howe was, as he always is, the workhorse of the Red Wings.

From The Daily Beast

As a lawmaker, she has always been more of a show pony than a workhorse.

From The Daily Beast

The 737 is a world-wide daily workhorse on domestic routes, sometimes making as many as seven flights a day.

From The Daily Beast

The Los Angeles city government views Farmers Field as a gifted workhorse.

From The Daily Beast

Sedgwick often turns to the word “workhorse” to describe herself.

From The Daily Beast

"Democracy an excellent workhorse, but a poor charger; a good hack, but an untrustworthy racer," iv.

From Project Gutenberg

He figured that he might work up a trade of two unbroken colts for a gentle workhorse.

From Project Gutenberg

On signal from the tower, the big workhorse thundered down the runway and soared off into the blue.

From Project Gutenberg

The Holter, that workhorse of the water, plodded stolidly on its appointed way.

From Project Gutenberg