labour


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Related to labour: giving birth, Labour law, labour pains

la·bour

 (lā′bər)
n.v. & adj. Chiefly British
Variant of labor.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

labour

(ˈleɪbə) or

labor

n
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
b. (in combination): labour-saving.
4. a particular job or task, esp of a difficult nature
5. (Gynaecology & Obstetrics)
a. the process or effort of childbirth or the time during which this takes place
b. (as modifier): labour pains.
6. labour of love something done for pleasure rather than gain
vb
7. (intr) to perform labour; work
8. (intr; foll by for, etc) to strive or work hard (for something)
9. (usually foll by: under) to be burdened (by) or be at a disadvantage (because of): to labour under a misapprehension.
10. (intr) to make one's way with difficulty
11. (tr) to deal with or treat too persistently: to labour a point.
12. (Gynaecology & Obstetrics) (intr) (of a woman) to be in labour
13. (Nautical Terms) (intr) (of a ship) to pitch and toss
[C13: via Old French from Latin labor; perhaps related to lābī to fall]
ˈlabouringly, ˈlaboringly adv
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

la•bor

(ˈleɪ bər)
n.
1. productive activity, esp. for the sake of economic gain.
2. the body of persons engaged in such activity, esp. those working for wages.
3. this body of persons considered as a class (distinguished from management).
4. physical or mental work, esp. of a hard or fatiguing kind.
5. a job or task done or to be done.
6.
a. the uterine contractions of childbirth.
b. the interval from the onset of these contractions to childbirth.
v.i.
7. to perform labor; work.
8. to strive, as toward a goal; work hard (often fol. by for): to labor for peace.
9. to move slowly and with effort.
10. to function at a disadvantage (usu. fol. by under): to labor under a misapprehension.
11. to undergo childbirth.
12. to roll or pitch heavily, as a ship.
v.t.
13. to develop or dwell on in excessive detail: Don't labor the point.
14. to burden or tire.
adj.
15. of or pertaining to workers, their associations, or working conditions: labor reforms.
Also, esp. Brit., labour.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Middle French < Latin labor]
la′bor•er, n.
syn: See work.
usage: See -or1.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Labour

 of moles: a company of moles—Bk. of St. Albans, 1486.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

labour


Past participle: laboured
Gerund: labouring

Imperative
labour
labour
Present
I labour
you labour
he/she/it labours
we labour
you labour
they labour
Preterite
I laboured
you laboured
he/she/it laboured
we laboured
you laboured
they laboured
Present Continuous
I am labouring
you are labouring
he/she/it is labouring
we are labouring
you are labouring
they are labouring
Present Perfect
I have laboured
you have laboured
he/she/it has laboured
we have laboured
you have laboured
they have laboured
Past Continuous
I was labouring
you were labouring
he/she/it was labouring
we were labouring
you were labouring
they were labouring
Past Perfect
I had laboured
you had laboured
he/she/it had laboured
we had laboured
you had laboured
they had laboured
Future
I will labour
you will labour
he/she/it will labour
we will labour
you will labour
they will labour
Future Perfect
I will have laboured
you will have laboured
he/she/it will have laboured
we will have laboured
you will have laboured
they will have laboured
Future Continuous
I will be labouring
you will be labouring
he/she/it will be labouring
we will be labouring
you will be labouring
they will be labouring
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been labouring
you have been labouring
he/she/it has been labouring
we have been labouring
you have been labouring
they have been labouring
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been labouring
you will have been labouring
he/she/it will have been labouring
we will have been labouring
you will have been labouring
they will have been labouring
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been labouring
you had been labouring
he/she/it had been labouring
we had been labouring
you had been labouring
they had been labouring
Conditional
I would labour
you would labour
he/she/it would labour
we would labour
you would labour
they would labour
Past Conditional
I would have laboured
you would have laboured
he/she/it would have laboured
we would have laboured
you would have laboured
they would have laboured
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.labour - a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wageslabour - a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages; "there is a shortage of skilled labor in this field"
social class, socio-economic class, stratum, class - people having the same social, economic, or educational status; "the working class"; "an emerging professional class"
labor force, labor pool - the source of trained people from which workers can be hired
lumpenproletariat - (Marxism) the unorganized lower levels of the proletariat who are not interested in revolutionary advancement
organized labor - employees who are represented by a labor union
prole, proletarian, worker - a member of the working class (not necessarily employed); "workers of the world--unite!"
2.labour - concluding state of pregnancylabour - concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child; "she was in labor for six hours"
uterine contraction - a rhythmic tightening in labor of the upper uterine musculature that contracts the size of the uterus and pushes the fetus toward the birth canal
effacement - shortening of the uterine cervix and thinning of its walls as it is dilated during labor
birthing, giving birth, parturition, birth - the process of giving birth
maternity, pregnancy, gestation - the state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth when a woman carries a developing fetus in her uterus
premature labor, premature labour - labor beginning prior to the 37th week of gestation
asynclitism, obliquity - the presentation during labor of the head of the fetus at an abnormal angle
3.labour - a political party formed in Great Britain in 1900Labour - a political party formed in Great Britain in 1900; characterized by the promotion of labor's interests and formerly the socialization of key industries
labor party, labour party - a left-of-center political party formed to represent the interest of ordinary working people
Labourite - a member of the British Labour Party
4.labour - productive work (especially physical work done for wages)labour - productive work (especially physical work done for wages); "his labor did not require a great deal of skill"
roping - capturing cattle or horses with a lasso
work - activity directed toward making or doing something; "she checked several points needing further work"
corvee - unpaid labor (as for the maintenance of roads) required by a lord of his vassals in lieu of taxes
donkeywork, drudgery, plodding, grind - hard monotonous routine work
elbow grease, exertion, effort, travail, sweat - use of physical or mental energy; hard work; "he got an A for effort"; "they managed only with great exertion"
hunting, hunt - the work of finding and killing or capturing animals for food or pelts
hackwork - professional work done according to formula
haymaking - cutting grass and curing it to make hay
manual labor, manual labour - labor done with the hands
overwork, overworking - the act of working too much or too long; "he became ill from overwork"
slavery - work done under harsh conditions for little or no pay
Verb1.labour - work hardlabour - work hard; "She was digging away at her math homework"; "Lexicographers drudge all day long"
do work, work - be employed; "Is your husband working again?"; "My wife never worked"; "Do you want to work after the age of 60?"; "She never did any work because she inherited a lot of money"; "She works as a waitress to put herself through college"
2.labour - strive and make an effort to reach a goallabour - 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"
push, bear on - press, drive, or impel (someone) to action or completion of an action; "He pushed her to finish her doctorate"
strain, strive, reach - to exert much effort or energy; "straining our ears to hear"
struggle, fight - make a strenuous or labored effort; "She struggled for years to survive without welfare"; "He fought for breath"
3.labour - undergo the efforts of childbirth
undergo - pass through; "The chemical undergoes a sudden change"; "The fluid undergoes shear"; "undergo a strange sensation"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

labour

noun
1. toil, effort, industry, grind (informal), pains, sweat (informal), slog (informal), exertion, drudgery, travail, donkey-work the labour of seeding, planting and harvesting
toil rest, ease, leisure, relaxation, respite, repose, idleness
2. workers, employees, workforce, labourers, hands, workmen The country lacked skilled labour.
3. work, effort, employment, toil, industry Every man should receive a fair price for the product of his labour.
4. childbirth, birth, delivery, contractions, pains, throes, travail, labour pains, parturition By the time she realised she was in labour, it was too late.
5. chore, job, task, undertaking The chef looked up from his labours.
verb
1. work, toil, strive, work hard, grind (informal), sweat (informal), slave, endeavour, plod away, drudge, travail, slog away (informal), exert yourself, peg along or away (chiefly Brit.), plug along or away (informal) peasants labouring in the fields
work rest, relax
2. struggle, work, strain, work hard, strive, go for it (informal), grapple, toil, make an effort, make every effort, do your best, exert yourself, work like a Trojan For years he laboured to build a religious community.
3. overemphasize, stress, elaborate, exaggerate, strain, dwell on, overdo, go on about, make a production (out) of (informal), make a federal case of (U.S. informal) I don't want to labour the point, but there it is.
4. (usually with under) be disadvantaged by, suffer from, be a victim of, be burdened by She laboured under the illusion that I knew what I was doing.

Labour

adjective left-wing, Democrat (U.S.) the Labour candidate in the by-election
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
حِزب العُمّالعَمَلٌعَمَل شاقعُمّالمَخاض المرأه
prácepracovní sílyprodírat sevléci sepracovat
arbejdeArbejderpartietarbejdskraftLabourveer
aherrusahertaaraataatyötyöläiset
rad
melózikmunkáspártszülési fájdalmakvajúdás
erfiîa, paufahríîirVerkamannaflokkurinnverkamennvinna
労働
노동
darbininkaidarbininkasdarbo ginčasdarbo ginčų teismasdarbo jėga
ar grūtībām tikt uz priekšudarbaspēksdarbsdzemdībasdzemdību sāpes
labouristipôrodné bolestipracovné sily
arbetearbetskraftarbeta
แรงงาน
ağır işdoğum sancısıemekemekçilergüçlükle ilerlemek
lao động

labour

labor (US) [ˈleɪbəʳ]
A. N
1. (= work, toil) → trabajo m
the division of labourla división del trabajo
hard labour (Jur) → trabajos mpl forzados
five years' hard labourcinco años de trabajos forzados
Ministry of LabourMinisterio m de Trabajo
to withdraw one's labourponerse en huelga
see also manual A
2. (= effort) (usu pl) → trabajo m, esfuerzo m
he is starting to see the fruits of his laboursestá empezando a ver los frutos de su trabajo or sus esfuerzos
3. (= task) → trabajo m, tarea f
a labour of loveun trabajo realizado con amor, una tarea realizada con amor
the labours of Herculeslos trabajos de Hércules
4. (Ind) (= workers) → obreros mpl; (= workforce) → mano f de obra
capital and labourla empresa y los obreros
women were used as a source of cheap labourse utilizaba a las mujeres como mano de obra barata
see also child B
see also skilled 2
5.
Labour (Brit) (Pol) → el Partido Laborista, los laboristas
to vote Labourvotar a los laboristas
6. (= birth) → parto m
to be in labourestar de parto
to go into labourponerse de parto
B. VT [+ point] → insistir en
I think that's labouring the point a bitcreo que eso es insistir demasiado en ese punto
I won't labour the pointno insistiré en ello
C. VI
1. (= work) → trabajar
to labour at sthtrabajar en algo
the labouring classeslas clases trabajadoras
a labouring jobun trabajo de peón
to labour to do sthesforzarse or afanarse por hacer algo
2. (= struggle) [engine] → sonar forzado
to labour up a hill [person, vehicle] → subir una cuesta con esfuerzo or dificultad
you seem to be labouring under a misapprehensionme parece que te estás equivocando
to labour under the misapprehension or illusion thatengañarse pensando que, creerse que
D. CPD labour camp Ncampamento m de trabajos forzados
labour costs NPLcosto msing de la mano de obra
labour day NDía m del Trabajo or de los Trabajadores (en Reino Unido 1 mayo, en EE.UU., Canadá, primer lunes de septiembre)
labour dispute Nconflicto m laboral
Labour Exchange N (Brit) (formerly) → Bolsa f de Trabajo
labour force N (= numbers, people) → mano f de obra
labour law N (as study) → derecho m laboral
labour market Nmercado m laboral, mercado m del trabajo
labour movement Nmovimiento m obrero
labour pains NPL (= birth) → dolores mpl de parto
Labour party NPartido m Laborista
labour relations NPLrelaciones fpl laborales
labour supply Noferta f de mano de obra
labour ward Nsala f de partos
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

Labour

[ˈleɪbər]
n (British) (also the Labour Party) → le parti m travailliste, les travaillistes mpl
to vote Labour → voter travailliste
My parents vote Labour → Mes parents votent travailliste.
modif [MP, minister, government, group] → travailliste; [voter] → du parti travailliste

labour

[ˈleɪbər] (British) labor (US)
n
(= work) → travail m
withdrawal of labour → arrêt de travail
They are threatening a withdrawal of labour → Ils agitent la menace d'un arrêt de travail.
(= hard work) → labeur m
the culmination of fifteen months' labour → l'aboutissement d'un labeur de quinze mois
(= people) → main-d'œuvre f skilled labour
(MEDICINE)travail m
in labour → en travail
He usually saw women in labour only when there were problems → Il ne voyait généralement les femmes en travail qu'en cas de problèmes.
to be in labour → être en travail
during labour → pendant le travail, pendant l'accouchement labours
npl (= work) → labeur m
the fruits of one's labours → les fruits de son labeur
vi
(= work hard) → œuvrer sans compter, peiner
to labour to do sth → œuvrer sans compter pour faire qch
For 25 years now he has laboured to build a religious community → Pendant 25 ans, il a œuvré sans compter pour fonder une communauté religieuse.
to labour under the illusion that → nourrir l'illusion que
to labour under the delusion that → nourrir l'illusion que
vt
to labour a point → enfoncer le cloulabour camp (British) labor camp (US) ncamp m de travaillabour charges nplfrais mpl de main-d'œuvrelabour costs (British) labor costs (US) nplcoût m du travail
They must get labour costs and productivity back in balance → Ils doivent rééquilibrer coût du travail et productivité.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

labour

, (US) labor
n
(= work in general)Arbeit f; (= toil)Anstrengung f, → Mühe f; after much labour the job was at last completednach langen Mühen war die Arbeit endlich vollendet
(= task)Aufgabe f; it was a labour of loveich/er etc tat es aus Liebe zur Sache; this biography is clearly a labour of lovediese Biografie ist eindeutig mit viel Liebe zur Sache entstanden; the labours of Herculesdie Arbeiten pldes Herkules
(Jur) ? hard labour
(= persons)Arbeiter pl, → Arbeitskräfte pl; to withdraw one’s labourdie Arbeit verweigern
(Brit Pol) Labourdie Labour Party; this district is Labourdies ist ein Labourbezirk
(Med) → Wehen pl; to be in labourin den Wehen liegen, die Wehen haben; to go into labourdie Wehen bekommen
vt point, subjectauswalzen, breittreten (inf); I won’t labour the pointich will nicht darauf herumreiten
vi
(in fields etc) → arbeiten; (= work hard)sich abmühen (at, with mit); they laboured hard to get the house finished on timesie gaben sich die größte Mühe, das Haus rechtzeitig fertigzustellen; to labour for a causesich für eine Sache einsetzen; to labour under a misapprehensionsich einer Illusion (dat)hingeben; to labour under difficultiesmit Schwierigkeiten zu kämpfen haben
(= move etc with effort or difficulty)sich quälen; the engine is labouringder Motor hört sich gequält an; (in wrong gear) → der Motor läuft untertourig; to labour up a hillsich einen Hügel hinaufquälen, mühsam den Berg hochkriechen; his breathing became laboureder begann, schwer zu atmen

labour

, (US) labor:
labour market
nArbeitsmarkt m
labour movement
labour pains
plWehen pl

labour

, (US) labor:
labour relations
pldie Beziehungen plzwischen Unternehmern und Arbeitern or Gewerkschaften
labour-saving
adjarbeitssparend
labour shortage
labour supply
nAngebot ntan Arbeitskräften
labour ward
n (Brit) → Kreißsaal m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Labour

[ˈleɪbəʳ]
1. n (Brit) (Pol) (also the Labour Party) → il partito laburista, i laburisti
she votes Labour → vota (per il partito) laburista
2. adjlaburista
official Labour policy → politica ufficiale dei laburisti

labour

labor (Am) [ˈleɪbəʳ]
1. n
a. (toil, task) → lavoro
hard labour (Law) → lavori forzati
labour of love → lavoro fatto per il puro piacere di farlo
b. (workforce) → manodopera
c. (Med) → doglie fpl, travaglio (del parto)
to be in labour → avere le doglie
2. vt (point) → insistere su
3. vi to labour at (with effort) → lavorare sodo or duro a; (with difficulty) → faticare a fare; (engine, motor) → essere sotto sforzo
to labour under a delusion/misapprehension → essere vittima di un'illusione/di un malinteso
to labour up a hill → arrancare su per una collina
4. adjdi lavoro
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

labour

(American) labor (ˈleibə) noun
1. hard work. The building of the cathedral involved considerable labour over two centuries; People engaged in manual labour are often badly paid.
2. workmen on a job. The firm is having difficulty hiring labour.
3. (in a pregnant woman etc) the process of childbirth. She was in labour for several hours before the baby was born.
4. used (with capital) as a name for the Socialist party in the United Kingdom.
verb
1. to be employed to do hard and unskilled work. He spends the summer labouring on a building site.
2. to move or work etc slowly or with difficulty. They laboured through the deep undergrowth in the jungle; the car engine labours a bit on steep hills.
laborious (ləˈboːriəs) adjective
difficult; requiring hard work. Moving house is always a laborious process.
laˈboriously adverb
laˈboriousness noun
ˈlabourer noun
a workman who is employed to do heavy work requiring little skill. the labourers on a building site.
ˈlabour court noun
a court of law for settling disputes between management and workers.
ˈlabour dispute noun
a disagreement between management and workers about working conditions, pay etc.
ˈlabour-saving adjective
intended to lessen work. washing-machines and other labour-saving devices.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

labour

عَمَلٌ práce arbejde Arbeit μόχθος mano de obra työ travail rad lavoro 労働 노동 arbeid arbeid praca mão-de-obra труд arbete แรงงาน emek lao động 劳动
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
I read on hastily, skimming much and remembering much of labour troubles in the past.
The announcement of organized labour in the morning papers that it was prepared to stay out a month or three months was laughed at.
As there is one end common to a man both as an individual and a citizen, it is evident that a good man and a good citizen must have the same object in view; it is evident that all the virtues which lead to rest are necessary; for, as we have often said, the end of war is peace, of labour, rest; but those virtues whose object is rest, and those also whose object is labour, are necessary for a liberal life and rest; for we want a supply of many necessary things that we may be at rest.
The guild-masters were pushed on one side by the manufacturing middle class; division of labour between the different corporate guilds vanished in the face of division of labour in each single workshop.
Subjection of Nature's forces to man, machinery, application of chemistry to industry and agriculture, steam-navigation, railways, electric telegraphs, clearing of whole continents for cultivation, canalisation of rivers, whole populations conjured out of the ground -- what earlier century had even a presentiment that such productive forces slumbered in the lap of social labour?
My plan was to have them, while performing this service, taught the latest and best methods of labour, so that the school would not only get the benefit of their efforts, but the students themselves would be taught to see not only utility in labour, but beauty and dignity; would be taught, in fact, how to lift labour up from mere drudgery and toil, and would learn to love work for its own sake.
At first many advised against the experiment of having the buildings erected by the labour of the students, but I was determined to stick to it.
The labour was immense, but the wages were magnificent.
Far and wide he sent ever with the same inquiry - for labour and stores.
After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter.
It is not easy to express the benevolence and tenderness with which they embraced us, and the concern they showed at seeing us worn away with hunger, labour, and weariness, our clothes tattered, and our feet bloody.
So I went to work, and with a carpenter's saw I cut a spare topmast into three lengths, and added them to my raft, with a great deal of labour and pains.