labour Definition
- 1work, especially physical work
- 2workers collectively, especially those engaged in manual or industrial work
- 3the process of giving birth
Using labour: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "labour" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The labour of carrying heavy boxes up the stairs was exhausting.
Example
The factory employs a large number of skilled labourers.
Example
She went into labour at midnight and gave birth to a healthy baby boy in the morning.
labour Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using labour
Example
Cleaning out the garage was a real labour of Hercules.
Example
She was in labour for several hours before the baby was born.
to be mistaken about something
Example
He had been labouring under a misapprehension about the company's finances.
Phrases with labour
Example
He spent years restoring the old car as a labour of love.
Example
Many people in the area are employed in manual labour jobs.
Example
She was given medication to help manage the labour pains.
Origins of labour
from Old French 'labour', from Latin 'labor', meaning 'toil, exertion'
Summary: labour in Brief
The term 'labour' [ˈleɪbər] refers to work, especially physical work, and workers collectively, often in manual or industrial contexts. It also denotes the process of giving birth, as in 'She went into labour at midnight.' The phrase 'labour of love' describes work done for pleasure, while 'manual labour' refers to physical work done by hand. Idioms like 'a labour of Hercules' and 'labour under a misapprehension' convey the sense of a difficult task and being mistaken about something, respectively.
