Definitions for labor
ˈleɪ bərla·bor

Princeton's WordNet(3.93 / 24 votes)Rate this definition:

1. labor, labour, working class, proletariat(noun)

   a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages

   "there is a shortage of skilled labor in this field"

2. labor, labour, toil(noun)

   productive work (especially physical work done for wages)

   "his labor did not require a great deal of skill"

3. parturiency, labor, labour, confinement, lying-in, travail, childbed(noun)

   concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child

   "she was in labor for six hours"

4. labor movement, trade union movement, labor(noun)

   an organized attempt by workers to improve their status by united action (particularly via labor unions) or the leaders of this movement

5. British Labour Party, Labour Party, Labour, Labor(noun)

   a political party formed in Great Britain in 1900; characterized by the promotion of labor's interests and formerly the socialization of key industries

6. Department of Labor, Labor Department, Labor, DoL(noun)

   the federal department responsible for promoting the working conditions of wage earners in the United States; created in 1913

7. undertaking, project, task, labor(verb)

   any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

   "he prepared for great undertakings"

8. tug, labor, labour, push, drive(verb)

   strive and make an effort to reach a goal

   "She tugged for years to make a decent living"; "We have to push a little to make the deadline!"; "She is driving away at her doctoral thesis"

9. labor, labour, toil, fag, travail, grind, drudge, dig, moil(verb)

   work hard

   "She was digging away at her math homework"; "Lexicographers drudge all day long"

10. labor, labour(verb)

    undergo the efforts of childbirth

Wiktionary(2.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. labor(Noun)

   Effort expended on a particular task; toil, work.

2. labor(Noun)

   Workers collectively; the workforce; the working class.

3. labor(Noun)

   The labor union movement; organized labor.

4. labor(Noun)

   The act of a mother giving birth or the time period during which a mother gives birth.

5. labor(Verb)

   spelling of labour; see British/Commonwealth entry for definitions, etymology, pronunciation, translations, etc.

6. Labor(ProperNoun)

   The Australian Labor Party.

Webster Dictionary(4.00 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Labor(noun)

   physical toil or bodily exertion, especially when fatiguing, irksome, or unavoidable, in distinction from sportive exercise; hard, muscular effort directed to some useful end, as agriculture, manufactures, and like; servile toil; exertion; work

   Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

2. Labor(noun)

   intellectual exertion; mental effort; as, the labor of compiling a history

   Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

3. Labor(noun)

   that which requires hard work for its accomplishment; that which demands effort

   Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

4. Labor(noun)

   travail; the pangs and efforts of childbirth

   Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

5. Labor(noun)

   any pang or distress

   Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

6. Labor(noun)

   the pitching or tossing of a vessel which results in the straining of timbers and rigging

   Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

7. Labor(noun)

   a measure of land in Mexico and Texas, equivalent to an area of 177/ acres

   Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

8. Labor(noun)

   to exert muscular strength; to exert one's strength with painful effort, particularly in servile occupations; to work; to toil

   Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

9. Labor(noun)

   to exert one's powers of mind in the prosecution of any design; to strive; to take pains

   Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

10. Labor(noun)

    to be oppressed with difficulties or disease; to do one's work under conditions which make it especially hard, wearisome; to move slowly, as against opposition, or under a burden; to be burdened; -- often with under, and formerly with of

    Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

11. Labor(noun)

    to be in travail; to suffer the pangs of childbirth

    Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

12. Labor(noun)

    to pitch or roll heavily, as a ship in a turbulent sea

    Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

13. Labor(verb)

    to work at; to work; to till; to cultivate by toil

    Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

14. Labor(verb)

    to form or fabricate with toil, exertion, or care

    Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

15. Labor(verb)

    to prosecute, or perfect, with effort; to urge stre/uously; as, to labor a point or argument

    Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

16. Labor(verb)

    to belabor; to beat

    Etymology: [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See Labor, n.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. labor

   The act and process of work or employment.

   The local labor laws were very effective.

   Submitted by MaryC on March 8, 2020  

Anagrams for labor »

1. lobar

2. Balor

How to pronounce labor?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say labor in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of labor in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of labor in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of labor in a Sentence

1. Suresh Narayanan:

   I believe the steps that are being talked about in terms of improving the investment laws, improving the laws of labor, improving the overall friendliness that the country has towards investments, all augurs well, it is a long road. Miracles are not going to happen in days or weeks.

2. The Fed on Wednesday:

   The committee anticipates that it will be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate when it has seen further improvement in the labor market and is reasonably confident that inflation will move back to its 2 percent objective over the medium-term.

3. David Cameron:

   You have seen there is a significant debate in a good number of EU capitals around issues to do with the labor market, welfare reform, links to immigration.

4. Maximiliano Hardie:

   In the last few years labor disputes have cost us in the region of $10 million, enough to drill a well, between 2013 and 2014 the number of strike days, and therefore the amount of unproductive time, increased.

5. Pete ButtigiegPete Buttigieg:

   I had an opportunity to work on those things at a place known for being very strong at it and for the kind of training that helps educate for that, and it felt like the missing piece of my education, i wasn't sure consulting was going to be for me for the long term. But I knew that I could grow and do that, and I do think it's, it could be distinguishing relative to people have no business experience at a time where we got to demonstrate that you can be progressive, pro-labor and reasonably knowledgeable about business too.

Images & Illustrations of labor

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