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| la·bor [ láybər ] |
noun (plural la·bors) |
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| Definition: |
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1. workers collectively: the workers, especially manual workers, in a country, company, or industry considered as a group
(
often used before a noun
)
  labor relations
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2. supply of work: the supply of work or workers for a particular job, industry, or employer
outlawed child labor
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3. labor unions collectively: labor unions collectively and the movement that built and supported them
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4. physical work: work done using the strength of the body
forced into hard labor
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5. particular piece of work: a piece of work of a particular type, especially a difficult or long one
(
often used in the plural
)
a labor of love
the labors of Hercules
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6. process of childbirth: the process of giving birth to a baby from when the contractions start to the baby's delivery, or the time taken for this process
(
often used before a noun
)
labor pains
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verb (past and past participle la·bored, present participle la·bor·ing, 3rd person present singular la·bors) |
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| Definition: |
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1. intransitive verb work hard: to work hard, especially at physical work
labored all day in the hot sun
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2. intransitive verb struggle to do something: to struggle to do something very difficult or very tiring
labored over the exam
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3. intransitive verb move with difficulty: to move with difficulty or great effort
labored up to the summit
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4. intransitive verb operate with difficulty: to have difficulty in running or functioning smoothly, e.g. because of being overloaded or defective
(
refers to engines or machines
)
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5. transitive verb overemphasize something: to continue trying to express or emphasize something when it is unnecessary
Don't labor the point.
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6. intransitive verb give birth: to be in the process of giving birth to a baby
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7. intransitive verb pitch and roll: to pitch and roll heavily at sea
(
refers to boats
)
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| [14th century. Via French< Latin, "toil, pain"] |
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a labor of love something demanding or difficult that is done just for pleasure rather than for money
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