labour

[ ley-ber ]

/ ˈleɪ bər /

noun, verb (used with or without object), adjective Chiefly British.

labor.

usage note for labour

See -or¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM labour

an·ti·la·bour, adjective

Words nearby labour

laborious, laborism, laborite, labors of hercules, laborsaving, labour, labour and socialist international, labour camp, labour day, labour exchange, labour law

Definition for laboured (2 of 2)

labor

[ ley-ber ]

/ ˈleɪ bər /

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.

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.

verb (used without object)

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

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

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

to be in the actual process of giving birth.

to roll or pitch heavily, as a ship.

verb (used with object)

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

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

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

adjective

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

Also especially British, la·bour.

Origin of labor

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

SYNONYMS FOR labor

2 working people, working class.

4 exertion.

6 parturition, delivery.

9 drudge.

14 overdo.

ANTONYMS FOR labor

1, 4 idleness; leisure.

1, 4, 9 rest.

synonym study for labor

4. See work.

historical usage of labor

The English noun labor comes into English via Old French labor, labour (French labeur ) from Latin labōr-, the inflectional stem of the noun labor “labor, work, toil.” The Latin noun has just about all the meanings of English labor (including that of childbirth), but not the relatively modern English sense “workers, manual workers taken together as a social group or class,” which dates from the 19th century.
The Latin etymology for labor is obscure: the noun may be related to the verb lābī (which has a long ā ) “to move smoothly, slide” (commonly with implication of downward movement). Lābī in its turn may be related to labāre (with a short a in the root syllable) “to be unsteady on one’s feet, falter, totter.” These derivatives of lāb- and lab- may be related to the Latin nouns labium (the source of English labial ) and labrum, both meaning “lip” and, outside Latin, to the Greek noun lobós “lobe (of the ear, liver, or lung), pod (of a vegetable), slip (of a plant)” (and source of English lobe ).

OTHER WORDS FROM labor

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) 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

Example sentences from the Web for laboured

His letters and the stanza addressed to Mrs. Boinville show the profound depression under which he laboured in April and May.

The Life and Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Volume I (of 2) |Florence A. Thomas Marshall
Amid powerful difficulties our brethren have not laboured in vain.

Fruits of Toil in the London Missionary Society |Various
That was the thing that, as the minutes laboured by, Faxon was becoming most conscious of.

The Triumph Of Night |Edith Wharton
But Guy Oscard stopped, and walked more slowly beside Meredith as he laboured along heavy footed.

With Edged Tools |Henry Seton Merriman

The first day and night we laboured until we literally could no longer move, from sheer exhaustion.

Spinifex and Sand |David W Carnegie

British Dictionary definitions for laboured (1 of 3)

laboured

US labored

/ (ˈleɪbəd) /

adjective

(of breathing) performed with difficulty

showing effort; contrived; lacking grace or fluency

Derived forms of laboured

labouredly or US laboredly, adverb labouredness or US laboredness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for laboured (2 of 3)

labor

/ (ˈleɪbə) /

verb, noun

the US spelling of labour

British Dictionary definitions for laboured (3 of 3)

labour

US labor

/ (ˈleɪbə) /

noun

productive work, esp physical toil done for wages

the people, class, or workers involved in this, esp in contrast to management, capital, etc
(as modifier)a labour dispute; labour relations

difficult or arduous work or effort
(in combination)labour-saving

a particular job or task, esp of a difficult nature

the process or effort of childbirth or the time during which this takes place
(as modifier)labour pains

labour of love something done for pleasure rather than gain

verb

(intr) to perform labour; work

(intr; foll by for, etc) to strive or work hard (for something)

(intr usually foll by under) to be burdened (by) or be at a disadvantage (because of) to labour under a misapprehension

(intr) to make one's way with difficulty

(tr) to deal with or treat too persistently to labour a point

(intr) (of a woman) to be in labour

(intr) (of a ship) to pitch and toss

Derived forms of labour

labouringly or US laboringly, adverb

Word Origin for labour

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

Medical definitions for laboured

labor

[ lā′bər ]

n.

The physical efforts of expulsion of the fetus and the placenta from the uterus during parturition.

v.

To undergo the efforts of childbirth.

Scientific definitions for laboured

labor

[ lā′bər ]

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.

Cultural definitions for laboured

labor

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.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

labour

noun, verb (used with or without object), adjective Chiefly British.

usage note for labour

OTHER WORDS FROM labour

Words nearby labour

Definition for laboured (2 of 2)

noun

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

adjective

Origin of labor

SYNONYMS FOR labor

ANTONYMS FOR labor

synonym study for labor

historical usage of labor

OTHER WORDS FROM labor

Example sentences from the Web for laboured

British Dictionary definitions for laboured (1 of 3)

US labored

adjective

Derived forms of laboured

British Dictionary definitions for laboured (2 of 3)

verb, noun

British Dictionary definitions for laboured (3 of 3)

US labor

noun

verb

Derived forms of labour

Word Origin for labour

Medical definitions for laboured

n.

v.

Scientific definitions for laboured

Cultural definitions for laboured