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   labour

   /ˈleɪbə/

   noun

   • 1. work, especially physical work: "the price of repairs includes labour, parts, and VAT" Similar taskjobchoreundertakingmissioncommissionassignment
   • ▪ workers, especially manual workers, considered collectively: "non-union casual labour" Similar workersemployeesworkmenworkforcestaffworking peopleblue-collar workershandslabourerslabour forcehired handsproletariatwage-earnersmanpowerhuman resourcespersonnelhumorous:livewareOpposite management
   • ▪ workers considered as a social class or political force: "the labour movement"
   • ▪ a government department concerned with a nation's workforce: "the Labour Secretary"
   • 2. the Labour Party: "the Labour leader"
   • 3. the process of childbirth from the start of uterine contractions to delivery: "a woman in labour" Similar childbirthbirthbirthingdeliverynativitycontractionslabour painslabour pangslabour throestechnical:parturitionarchaic:confinementaccouchementlying-inchildbedtravail
   • 4. a group of moles: rare "a labour of moles toils with the Earth"

   verb

   • 1. work hard; make great effort: "they laboured from dawn to dusk" Similar work (hard)toilslave (away)grub awayplod awaygrind awaysweat awaystrugglestriveexert oneselfoverworkwork one's fingers to the bonework like a Trojan/dog/slavekeep one's nose to the grindstoneinformal:slog awaykill oneselfplug awayput one's back into somethingpeg awaygraftarchaic:drudgetravailmoilOpposite restrelaxlaze
   • ▪ work at an unskilled manual occupation: "he was eking out an existence by labouring"
   • ▪ till (the ground): archaic "the land belonged to him who laboured it"
   • 2. have difficulty in doing something despite working hard: "United laboured against confident opponents" Similar strivestruggleendeavourworktry hardmake every effortdo one's bestdo one's utmostdo all one cangive (it/something) one's allgo all outfightpushbe at painsput oneself outapply oneselfexert oneselfinformal:bend/fall/lean over backwardsgive it one's best shotpull out all the stops
   • ▪ move or proceed with difficulty: "they laboured up a steep, tortuous track"
   • ▪ (of an engine) work noisily and with difficulty: "the wheels churned, the engine labouring"
   • ▪ (of a ship) roll or pitch heavily: "the seas ran high, and the ship laboured hard"
   • 3. (of a woman in childbirth) be in labour: "she laboured very well and comfortably because she was relaxed"

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French labour (noun), labourer (verb), both from Latin labor ‘toil, trouble’.

   Scrabble Points: 8

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2. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishLABOUR | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   LABOUR definition: 1. practical work, especially when it involves hard physical effort: 2. workers, especially people…. Learn more.

3. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishLABOUR definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   The work done by a group of workers or by a particular worker is referred to as their labour. Every man should receive a fair price for the product of his labour. The unemployed cannot withdraw their labour–they have no power. Synonyms: work, effort, employment, toil More Synonyms of labour.

4. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › laborLabor Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › labor

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   Sep 6, 2011 · The meaning of LABOR is expenditure of physical or mental effort especially when difficult or compulsory. How to use labor in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Labor.

5. www.oed.com › dictionary › labour_nlabour | labor, n. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford ...

   www.oed.com › dictionary › labour_n

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   What does the noun labour mean? There are 18 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun labour, five of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. labour has developed meanings and uses in subjects including.

6. www.thefreedictionary.com › labourLabour - definition of labour by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › labour

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   1. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) productive work, esp physical toil done for wages. 2. (Industrial Relations & HR Terms) 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.

7. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › labourLabour Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › labour

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   Farm Idioms Quiz If you've got a pig in a poke - what exactly is a... Take the quiz. The meaning of LABOUR is chiefly British spelling of labor.

8. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definitionlabour noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition

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   Definition of labour noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.