Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for workhorse

workhorse

[ wurk-hawrs ]

noun

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


workhorse

/ ˈwɜːkˌhɔːs /

noun

  1. a horse used for nonrecreational activities
  2. 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


Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of workhorse1

First recorded in 1535–45; work + horse
Discover More

Example Sentences

It’s the type of all-purpose workhorse that belongs in every household because it’s got uses in basically every room—it can even be used to spot clean carpets.

Algae, however, do this very efficiently, thanks to a protein structure called the pyrenoid—and Martin Jonikas ’04 believes this understudied cellular workhorse could transform food production.

The military’s workhorse cargo aircraft, the Boeing C-17 Globemaster, can fly a tank to Afghanistan in about a dozen hours, but rocket delivery would be far faster.

The volume refers to how much Indiana has used her — she’s third in the league in minutes played among all players, ahead of workhorses like Courtney Vandersloot and Skylar Diggins-Smith.

This gentle workhorse of an exfoliant can clear scalps with dry, combination, or oily skin.

Through all of this, however, Howe was, as he always is, the workhorse of the Red Wings.

As a lawmaker, she has always been more of a show pony than a workhorse.

The 737 is a world-wide daily workhorse on domestic routes, sometimes making as many as seven flights a day.

The Los Angeles city government views Farmers Field as a gifted workhorse.

Sedgwick often turns to the word “workhorse” to describe herself.

"Democracy an excellent workhorse, but a poor charger; a good hack, but an untrustworthy racer," iv.

He figured that he might work up a trade of two unbroken colts for a gentle workhorse.

On signal from the tower, the big workhorse thundered down the runway and soared off into the blue.

The Holter, that workhorse of the water, plodded stolidly on its appointed way.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


work hardeningwork-hour