Meaning & use
Labour
Last updated
Physical or mental work, especially work done for wages; the British spelling of "labor." Also refers to the process of childbirth.
See it in a sentence
The company relies on seasonal labour to harvest the crops each autumn.
She was rushed to the hospital once labour began.
A note on using this word
"Labour" is the standard spelling in British, Australian, and most Commonwealth English, while American English uses "labor."
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. verb
To work hard, especially at physical tasks, or to proceed with great effort.
Farmers laboured in the fields from sunrise to sunset.
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