I. ˈlā-bər 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
( la·bored ; la·bor·ing -b(ə-)riŋ)
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 labor ed 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