labor

labor
I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French labur, from Latin labor; perhaps akin to Latin labare to totter, labi to slip — more at sleep Date: 14th century 1. a. expenditure of physical or mental effort especially when difficult or compulsory b. (1) human activity that provides the goods or services in an economy (2) the services performed by workers for wages as distinguished from those rendered by entrepreneurs for profits c. the physical activities (as dilation of the cervix and contraction of the uterus) involved in giving birth; also the period of such labor 2. an act or process requiring labor ; task 3. a product of labor 4. a. an economic group comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages b. (1) workers employed in an establishment (2) workers available for employment c. the organizations or officials representing groups of workers 5. (usually Labour) the Labour party of the United Kingdom or of another part of the Commonwealth of Nations Synonyms: see work II. verb (labored; laboring) Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. to exert one's powers of body or mind especially with painful or strenuous effort ; work 2. to move with great effort <
the truck labored up the hill
>
3. to be in the labor of giving birth 4. to suffer from some disadvantage or distress <
labor under a delusion
>
5. of a ship to pitch or roll heavily transitive verb 1. archaic a. to spend labor on or produce by labor b. to strive to effect or achieve 2. to treat or work out in often laborious detail <
labor the obvious
>
3. distress, burden 4. to cause to labor III. adjective Date: 1640 1. of or relating to labor 2. capitalized of, relating to, or constituting a political party held to represent the interests of workers or made up largely of organized labor groups

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Labor — Labor …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • labor — (Del lat. labor, ōris). 1. f. Acción y efecto de trabajar. 2. Adorno tejido o hecho a mano, en la tela, o ejecutado de otro modo en otras cosas. U. m. en pl.) 3. Obra de coser, bordar, etc. 4. Labranza, en especial la de las tierras que se… …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • LABOR — et exercitium, torpentem in nobis excitat ealorem, eoque et spiritus reddit vegetos et alacres: atque, ut ventilatio paleas e tririco et spicas inanes flatu dispellit. ita exercitatio quoque fugat noxios e corpore humores. Quâ similitudine hoc… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • labor — sustantivo femenino 1. Trabajo o actividad de una persona: Estaba muy ocupado con su labor. Ha hecho una labor excelente en la organización. Desarrolla su labor por las noches. Cuidar a estos niños es una labor callada. 2. (preferentemente en… …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • labor — I (exertion) noun discipline, effort, endeavor, energy, enterprise, industry, mental toil, pains, strain, strife II (work) noun advocation, assignment, calling, craft, duty, employ, employment, job, line of business, line of work, occupation,… …   Law dictionary

  • labor — (Brit. labour) ► NOUN 1) work, especially hard physical work. 2) workers collectively. 3) (Labor) the Labor Party. 4) the process of childbirth. ► VERB 1) work hard …   English terms dictionary

  • Labor — La bor (l[=a] b[ e]r), n. [OE. labour, OF. labour, laber, labur, F. labeur, L. labor; cf. Gr. lamba nein to take, Skr. labh to get, seize.] [Written also {labour}.] 1. Physical toil or bodily exertion, especially when fatiguing, irksome, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • labor — labor, no estar por la labor expr. no estar dispuesto a hacer algo. ❙ «Si no estás por la labor de sudar, siempre te queda el jacuzzi...» Juanma Iturriaga, Con chandal y a lo loco. ❙ «Necesito alas, ánimos, una inteligencia cómplice a mi lado, y… …   Diccionario del Argot "El Sohez"

  • labor — [lā′bər] n. [OFr < L, labor, orig., hardship, pain, prob. < base of labi, to slip, totter: see LAP1] 1. physical or mental exertion; work; toil 2. a specific task; piece of work 3. a) all wage earning workers as a group: distinguished from… …   English World dictionary

  • Labor — La bor, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Labored}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Laboring}.] [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See {Labor}, n.] [Written also {labour}.] 1. To exert muscular strength; to exert one s strength with painful effort, particularly in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • labor — [n1] work, undertaking activity, chore, daily grind, diligence, drudgery, effort, employment, endeavor, energy, exercise, exertion, grind*, gruntwork*, industry, job, moonlight*, operation, pains*, pull, push, strain, stress, struggle, sweat,… …   New thesaurus

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