n. & v. (US, Austral. labor)
--n.
1. a physical or mental work; exertion; toil. b such work considered as supplying the needs of a community.
2 a workers, esp. manual, considered as a class or political force (a dispute between capital and labour). b (Labour) the Labour Party.
3 the process of childbirth, esp. the period from the start of uterine contractions to delivery (has been in labour for three hours).
4 a particular task, esp. of a difficult nature.
--v.
1. intr. work hard; exert oneself.
2 intr. (usu. foll. by for, or to + infin.) strive for a purpose (laboured to fulfil his promise).
3 tr. a treat at excessive length; elaborate needlessly (I will not labour the point). b (as laboured adj.) done with great effort; not spontaneous or fluent.
4 intr. (often foll. by under) suffer under (a disadvantage or delusion) (laboured under universal disapproval).
5 intr. proceed with trouble or difficulty (laboured slowly up the hill).
6 intr. (of a ship) roll or pitch heavily.
7 tr. archaic or poet. till (the ground).
Phrases and idioms:
labour camp a prison camp enforcing a regime of hard labour. Labour Day May
1. (or in the US and Canada the first Monday in September), celebrated in honour of working people. Labour Exchange Brit. colloq. or hist. an employment exchange; a jobcentre. labour force the body of workers employed, esp. at a single plant. labouring man a labourer. labour-intensive (of a form of work) needing a large work force. labour in vain make a fruitless effort. labour-market the supply of labour with reference to the demand on it. labour of Hercules a task needing enormous strength or effort. labour of love a task done for pleasure, not reward.
Labour Party
1. a British political party formed to represent the interests of ordinary working people.
2 any similar political party in other countries. labour-saving (of an appliance etc.) designed to reduce or eliminate work. labour union US a trade union. lost labour fruitless effort.
Etymology: ME f. OF labo(u)r, labourer f. L labor, -oris, laborare