workhorse

[ wurk-hawrs ]
/ ˈwɜrkˌhɔrs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR workhorse ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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Origin of workhorse

First recorded in 1535–45; work + horse

Words nearby workhorse

workers' cooperative, workfare, workflow, workfolk, workforce, workhorse, workhouse, working, working asset, working bee, working capital
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to workhorse

laborer, servant, worker, serf, captive, victim, drudge, chattel, help, toiler, vassal, thrall, retainer, peon, menial, skivvy, slave, doer, pistol, dynamo

Example sentences from the Web for workhorse

British Dictionary definitions for workhorse

workhorse
/ (ˈwɜːkˌhɔːs) /

noun

a horse used for nonrecreational activities
informal a person who takes on the greatest amount of work in a project or job
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012