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belabor

 - 2 dictionary results

be⋅la⋅bor

[bi-ley-ber]
–verb (used with object)
1. to explain, worry about, or work at (something) repeatedly or more than is necessary: He kept belaboring the point long after we had agreed.
2. to assail persistently, as with scorn or ridicule: a book that belabors the provincialism of his contemporaries.
3. to beat vigorously; ply with heavy blows.
4. Obsolete. to labor at.
Also, especially British, be⋅la⋅bour.


Origin:
1590–1600; be- + labor
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To belabor
be·la·bor   (bĭ-lā'bər)   
tr.v.   be·la·bored, be·la·bor·ing, be·la·bors
  1. To attack with blows; hit, beat, or whip. See Synonyms at beat.

  2. To assail verbally.

  3. To discuss repeatedly or at length; harp on: Don't belabor the point.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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