labour
♦♦♦ la|bour /l'eɪbər/ (labours labouring laboured)
in AM, use labor
1 [N-UNCOUNT] also N in pl, oft supp N
Labour is very hard work, usually physical work.
...the labour of seeding, planting and harvesting...
The chef at the barbecue looked up from his labours; he was sweating.
see also hard labour
2 [VERB] V, V
Someone who labours works hard using their hands.
...peasants labouring in the fields...
Her husband laboured at the plant for 17 years.
3 [VERB] V to-inf, V under n
If you labour to do something, you do it with difficulty.
For twenty-five years now he has laboured to build a religious community.
...a young man who's labouring under all kinds of other difficulties.
= struggle
4 [N-UNCOUNT] oft supp N
Labour is used to refer to the workers of a country or industry, considered as a group.
Latin America lacked skilled labour...
They were cheap labour.
5 [N-UNCOUNT] oft poss N
The work done by a group of workers or by a particular worker is referred to as their labour.
The unemployed cannot withdraw their labour-they have no power.
6 [N-PROPER-COLL]
In Britain, people use Labour to refer to the Labour Party.
They all vote Labour.
7 [ADJ]
A Labour politician or voter is a member of a Labour Party or votes for a Labour Party.
...a Labour MP...
Millions of Labour voters went unrepresented.
8 [VERB] V under n, V under n
If you labour under a delusion or misapprehension, you continue to believe something which is not true.
She laboured under the illusion that I knew what I was doing...
You seem to be labouring under considerable misapprehensions.
9 [VERB] V n
If you labour a point or an argument, you keep making the same point or saying the same thing, although it is unnecessary.
I don't want to labour the point but there it is.
10 [N-UNCOUNT]
Labour is the last stage of pregnancy, in which the baby is gradually pushed out of the womb by the mother.
I thought the pains meant I was going into labour.hard la|bour
in AM, use hard labor
[N-UNCOUNT]
Hard labour is hard physical work which people have to do as punishment for a crime.
The sentence of the court was twelve years' hard labour, to be served in a British prison.la|bour camp (labour camps)
in AM, use labor camp
[N-COUNT]
A labour camp is a kind of prison, where the prisoners are forced to do hard, physical work, usually outdoors.la|bour force (labour forces)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
The labour force consists of all the people who are able to work in a country or area, or all the people who work for a particular company. (BUSINESS)la|bour mar|ket (labour markets)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
When you talk about the labour market, you are referring to all the people who are able to work and want jobs in a country or area, in relation to the number of jobs there are available in that country or area. (BUSINESS)
The longer people have been unemployed, the harder it is for them to compete in the labour market.la|bour re|la|tions
in AM use labor relations
[N-PLURAL]
Labour relations refers to the relationship between employers and employees in industry, and the political decisions and laws that affect it.
We have to balance good labor relations against the need to cut costs.slave la|bour
in AM, use slave labor
1 [N-UNCOUNT]
Slave labour refers to slaves or to work done by slaves.
The children were used as slave labour in gold mines in the jungle...
2 [N-UNCOUNT]
If people work very hard for long hours for very little money, you can refer to it as slave labour.
He's been forced into slave labour at burger bars to earn a bit of cash.
in AM, use labor
1 [N-UNCOUNT] also N in pl, oft supp N
Labour is very hard work, usually physical work.
...the labour of seeding, planting and harvesting...
The chef at the barbecue looked up from his labours; he was sweating.
see also hard labour
2 [VERB] V, V
Someone who labours works hard using their hands.
...peasants labouring in the fields...
Her husband laboured at the plant for 17 years.
3 [VERB] V to-inf, V under n
If you labour to do something, you do it with difficulty.
For twenty-five years now he has laboured to build a religious community.
...a young man who's labouring under all kinds of other difficulties.
= struggle
4 [N-UNCOUNT] oft supp N
Labour is used to refer to the workers of a country or industry, considered as a group.
Latin America lacked skilled labour...
They were cheap labour.
5 [N-UNCOUNT] oft poss N
The work done by a group of workers or by a particular worker is referred to as their labour.
The unemployed cannot withdraw their labour-they have no power.
6 [N-PROPER-COLL]
In Britain, people use Labour to refer to the Labour Party.
They all vote Labour.
7 [ADJ]
A Labour politician or voter is a member of a Labour Party or votes for a Labour Party.
...a Labour MP...
Millions of Labour voters went unrepresented.
8 [VERB] V under n, V under n
If you labour under a delusion or misapprehension, you continue to believe something which is not true.
She laboured under the illusion that I knew what I was doing...
You seem to be labouring under considerable misapprehensions.
9 [VERB] V n
If you labour a point or an argument, you keep making the same point or saying the same thing, although it is unnecessary.
I don't want to labour the point but there it is.
10 [N-UNCOUNT]
Labour is the last stage of pregnancy, in which the baby is gradually pushed out of the womb by the mother.
I thought the pains meant I was going into labour.hard la|bour
in AM, use hard labor
[N-UNCOUNT]
Hard labour is hard physical work which people have to do as punishment for a crime.
The sentence of the court was twelve years' hard labour, to be served in a British prison.la|bour camp (labour camps)
in AM, use labor camp
[N-COUNT]
A labour camp is a kind of prison, where the prisoners are forced to do hard, physical work, usually outdoors.la|bour force (labour forces)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
The labour force consists of all the people who are able to work in a country or area, or all the people who work for a particular company. (BUSINESS)la|bour mar|ket (labour markets)
[N-COUNT] usu sing
When you talk about the labour market, you are referring to all the people who are able to work and want jobs in a country or area, in relation to the number of jobs there are available in that country or area. (BUSINESS)
The longer people have been unemployed, the harder it is for them to compete in the labour market.la|bour re|la|tions
in AM use labor relations
[N-PLURAL]
Labour relations refers to the relationship between employers and employees in industry, and the political decisions and laws that affect it.
We have to balance good labor relations against the need to cut costs.slave la|bour
in AM, use slave labor
1 [N-UNCOUNT]
Slave labour refers to slaves or to work done by slaves.
The children were used as slave labour in gold mines in the jungle...
2 [N-UNCOUNT]
If people work very hard for long hours for very little money, you can refer to it as slave labour.
He's been forced into slave labour at burger bars to earn a bit of cash.