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labor

[ley-ber]

Example Sentences Origin

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noun

productive activity, especially for the sake of economic gain.

the body of persons engaged in such activity, especially those working for wages.

this body of persons considered as a class (distinguished from management and capital).

physical or mental work, especially of a hard or fatiguing kind; toil.

a job or task done or to be done.

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the physical effort and periodic uterine contractions of childbirth.

the interval from the onset of these contractions to childbirth.

(initial capital letter) Also called Labor Department. Informal. the Department of Labor.

COLLAPSE

Labores www.ask.com/Labores Search Labores Q&A for Labores

verb (used without object)

to perform labor; exert one's powers of body or mind; work; toil.

10.

to strive, as toward a goal; work hard (often followed by for): to labor for peace.

11.

to act, behave, or function at a disadvantage (usually followed by under): to labor under a misapprehension.

12.

to be in the actual process of giving birth.

13.

to roll or pitch heavily, as a ship.

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Labor is one of our favorite verbs.

So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:

to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.

to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

verb (used with object)

14.

to develop or dwell on in excessive detail: Don't labor the point.

15.

to burden or tire: to labor the reader with unnecessary detail.

16.

British Dialect. to work or till (soil or the like).

adjective

17.

of or pertaining to workers, their associations, or working conditions: labor reforms.

Also, especially British, labour.

Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English labour < Middle French < Latin labōr- (stem of labor) work

Related forms

la·bor·ing·ly, adverb

la·bor·less, adjective

an·ti·la·bor, adjective

non·la·bor, adjective

out·la·bor, verb (used with object)

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o·ver·la·bor, verb (used with object)

pre·la·bor, noun, verb (used without object)

pro·la·bor, adjective

un·la·bor·ing, adjective

COLLAPSE

Synonyms
2. working people, working class. 4. exertion. See work. 6. parturition, delivery. 9. drudge. 14. overdo.

Antonyms
1, 4. idleness; leisure. 1, 4, 9. rest.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source

Link To Labor

Example Sentences

The rehab process takes years and is extremely labor intensive.

Creating consistently spaced holes adds to the time and labor.

As a result, decentralized composting has lower startup costs, but is more labor intensive.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

labor (ˈleɪbə)

—vb, —n
	the US spelling of labour

labour or labor (ˈleɪbə)

—n
1.	productive work, esp physical toil done for wages
2.	a. the people, class, or workers involved in this, esp in contrast to management, capital, etc
	b. (as modifier): a labour dispute; labour relations
3.	a. difficult or arduous work or effort
	b. (in combination): labour-saving
4.	a particular job or task, esp of a difficult nature
5.	a. the process or effort of childbirth or the time during which this takes place
	b. (as modifier): labour pains
6.	labour of love something done for pleasure rather than gain

—vb (usually foll by under)
7.	(intr) to perform labour; work
8.	(intr; foll by for, etc) to strive or work hard (for something)
9.	to be burdened (by) or be at a disadvantage (because of): to labour under a misapprehension
10.	(intr) to make one's way with difficulty
11.	(tr) to deal with or treat too persistently: to labour a point
12.	(intr) (of a woman) to be in labour
13.	(intr) (of a ship) to pitch and toss

[C13: via Old French from Latin labor; perhaps related to lābī to fall]

labor or labor

—n

—vb

[C13: via Old French from Latin labor; perhaps related to lābī to fall]

'labouringly or labor

—*adv*

'laboringly or labor

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

labor

c.1300, "exertion of the body," from O.Fr. labour (Fr. labeur), from L. laborem (nom. labor) "toil, pain, exertion, fatigue, work," perhaps originally "tottering under a burden," related to labere "to totter." The verb is c.1300, from M.Fr. labourer, from L. laborare, from labor. The verb in modern

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Fr., Sp., Port. means "to plow;" the wider sense being taken by the equivalent of Eng. travail. Meaning "body of laborers considered as a class" (usually contrasted to capitalists) is from 1839. Sense of "physical exertions of childbirth" is 1595, from Fr. en travail "in (childbirth) suffering" (see travail). Labor Day first marked 1882 in New York City.

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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

labor la·bor (lā'bər)
n.
The physical efforts of expulsion of the fetus and the placenta from the uterus during parturition. v. la·bored, la·bor·ing, la·bors
To undergo the efforts of childbirth.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

labor (lā'bər) Pronunciation Key
The process by which the birth of a mammal occurs, beginning with contractions of the uterus and ending with the expulsion of the fetus and the placenta.

American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

labor definition

The physical processes at the end of a normal pregnancy, including opening of the cervix and contractions of the uterus, that lead to the birth of the baby.

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