labour

[ ley-ber ]

noun

, Chiefly British.

1. labor.

labour

/ ˈleɪbə /

noun

1. productive work, esp physical toil done for wages
2. 1. the people, class, or workers involved in this, esp in contrast to management, capital, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a labour dispute

      labour relations

3. 1. difficult or arduous work or effort
   2. ( in combination )

      labour-saving

4. a particular job or task, esp of a difficult nature
5. 1. the process or effort of childbirth or the time during which this takes place
   2. ( as modifier )

      labour pains

6. labour of love
   something done for pleasure rather than gain

verb

1. intr to perform labour; work
2. intr; foll by for, etc to strive or work hard (for something)
3. intrusually foll byunder to be burdened (by) or be at a disadvantage (because of)

   to labour under a misapprehension

4. intr to make one's way with difficulty
5. tr to deal with or treat too persistently

   to labour a point

6. intr (of a woman) to be in labour
7. intr (of a ship) to pitch and toss

Spelling Note

See -or ¹.

Derived Forms

• ˈlabouringly, adverb

Other Words From

• anti·labour adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of labour¹

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

Example Sentences

Countries with 10 per cent of women in the labour force are nearly thirty times more likely to experience internal conflict than countries with 40 per cent.

From Time

Unless gender discrimination in the labour market is addressed systematically, choosing to have three children will have a detrimental effect on women’s employment trajectory.

From No Straight News

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Germany is studying “individual learning accounts” modeled on Singapore’s approach.

From MIT Technology Review

But, labour markets were not ready for this six-million surge in labour.

From Quartz

Governments and business need to work together, investing in reskilling and upskilling programmes to provide students and workers with the tools they need for rapidly shifting labour markets.

From Time

They were finally accepted by a Labour Home Secretary, Roy Jenkins, in 1967.

From The Daily Beast

A senior Labour Party MP scoffed at what he suggested was faulty logic.

From The Daily Beast

The middle classes,” Satyarthi once told the BBC, want “cheap, docile labour.

From The Daily Beast

You take away Scotland, you take a major base of Labour strength.

From The Daily Beast

So a Scottish secession need not prevent Labour from winning in a reduced UK.

From The Daily Beast

Great was the surprise of Alf at the honour and labour thus thrust upon him, but he did not shrink from it.

From Project Gutenberg

Michael Allcroft returned to his duties, tuned for labour, full of courage, and the spirit of enterprise and action.

From Project Gutenberg

Here again we have the landscape of Lorraine and the eternal and infinitely varied theme of rural labour.

From Project Gutenberg

This would reduce the available time for direct manual labour at his disposal.

From Project Gutenberg

Before she was in labour, she brought forth; before her time came to be delivered, she brought forth a man child.

From Project Gutenberg