labour

I UK [ˈleɪbə(r)] / US [ˈleɪbər] noun
Word forms "labour":
singular labour plural labours
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1) [uncountable] economics the workers in a particular country, industry, or company considered as a group

the declining demand for labour in agriculture

a plentiful supply of cheap labour

skilled/unskilled labour:

The demand for skilled labour in the building industry is high.

casual labour (= people who are not employed regularly):

Hotel managers need skilled staff and can't afford to rely on casual labour.

a) the organizations to which workers belong, or their leaders, considered as a group

a meeting between management and labour

organized labour:

In the 1960s the strength of organized labour was becoming more apparent.

b) [only before noun] relating to or involving workers

a labour dispute

The company is passing its higher labour costs on to its customers.

2)

a) [uncountable] work

the traditional division of labour between men and women in the home

The price quoted includes the cost of all labour and materials.

b) labour or labours formal work, especially hard physical work

In return for his labours, he receives food and shelter.

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See:

hard labour, labourer, labour of love

3)

a) [singular/uncountable] the process by which a baby is pushed from its mother's body when she is giving birth to it

drugs to ensure pain-free labour and delivery

go into labour:

She went into labour early this morning.

be in labour:

His wife was in labour for six hours.

b) [only before noun] relating to a woman's labour when she is giving birth to a baby

labour pains

a labour ward

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fruit(s) of your labour — the benefits of your hard work

II UK [ˈleɪbə(r)] / US [ˈleɪbər] verb [intransitive]
Word forms "labour":
present tense I/you/we/they labour he/she/it labours present participle labouring past tense laboured past participle laboured
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1)

a) formal to work hard, especially physically

Five generations of his family have laboured as fishermen.

b) to put a lot of effort into achieving something

labour over something:

At midnight she was still labouring over the accounts.

labour to do something:

He laboured to make them understand his French.

2) to move very slowly and with difficulty

He laboured up the stairs with his bag of groceries.

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- labour the point

Phrasal verbs:

- labour under