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 labour labour /ˈleɪbɝ/

noun

  1. () [Canadian, British] A social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages  ( working class , proletariate [Archaic] , labour [Canadian, British] , labor [American] , proletariat )
    a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
     There is a shortage of skilled labor in this field
    there is a shortage of skilled labor in this field
  2. [Canadian, British] Productive work (especially physical work done for wages)  ( labour [Canadian, British] , toil , labor [American] )
    productive work (especially physical work done for wages)
     His labor did not require a great deal of skill
    his labor did not require a great deal of skill
  3. Concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child  ( childbed [Archaic] , labor [American] , labour , confinement , lying-in , parturiency , travail )
    concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child
     She was in labor for six hours
    she was in labor for six hours

verb

  1. [Canadian, British] Undergo the efforts of childbirth  ( labor [American] , labour [Canadian, British] )
    undergo the efforts of childbirth
  2. [Canadian, British] Strive and make an effort to reach a goal  ( labour [Canadian, British] , tug , plow on [American] , drive , labor [American] , push )
    strive and make an effort to reach a goal
     She tugged for years to make a decent living
    She tugged for years to make a decent living
     We have to push a little to make the deadline!
    We have to push a little to make the deadline!
     She is driving away at her doctoral thesis
    She is driving away at her doctoral thesis
  3. [Canadian, British] Work hard  ( dig [Informal, American] , drudge , fag [Informal] , grind [Informal] , labor [American] , labour [Canadian, British] , moil [ N. American] , toil , travail )
    work hard
     She was digging away at her math homework
    She was digging away at her math homework
     Lexicographers drudge all day long
    Lexicographers drudge all day long

 Labour

    noun

    1. A political party formed in Great Britain in 1900; characterized by the promotion of labor's interests and formerly the socialization of key industries  ( British Labour Party , Labor , Labour , Labour Party )
      a political party formed in Great Britain in 1900; characterized by the promotion of labor's interests and formerly the socialization of key industries