labor
/ˈleɪ.bər/ (bre, ipa) · [lˈebɚ] /ˈleɪ.bɚ/ (ame, ipa) · [lˈebɚ] /ˈlā-bər/ (ame, mw)
labor — noun
- laborsingular
- laborsplural
1. hard work, often physical, or the effort needed to finish a difficult task.
hard work, often physical, or the effort needed to finish a difficult task.
Years of farm labor had strengthened João's shoulders and hands.
farm labor — physical work done over time
The stone path took two days of labor to repair after the storm.
days of labor — time spent on hard work
After weeks of labor, Anjali finally opened her bakery near the station.
The bridge was built with cheap labor from nearby villages.
Cleaning the flooded shop was slow labor for the whole family.
文法句型
manual labor
hours of labor
labor of + noun/verb-ing
用法筆記
Often uncountable when you mean work in general. A countable use appears mainly in set expressions or when you are treating one demanding job as a single piece of work.
常見錯誤
2. the stage of childbirth when the body is working to deliver a baby.
the stage of childbirth when the body is working to deliver a baby.
Élise went into labor shortly after midnight at the hospital.
go into labor — start childbirth
The nurse said Sari was in labor and should breathe slowly.
be in labor — already giving birth
João drove his sister to town when her labor pains began.
Anjali's labor lasted eight hours before the baby arrived safely.
Strong labor contractions began while Lucía was still at home.
- childbirth
the plain everyday term for the process of having a baby.
- delivery
often used in medical settings for the birth itself.
文法句型
go into labor
be in labor
labor pains
labor contractions
用法筆記
This sense commonly appears in the fixed phrases 'go into labor' and 'be in labor'. In everyday use, it names the childbirth process rather than ordinary work.
常見錯誤
3. workers considered together as the people available to do a company's or area's
workers considered together as the people available to do a company's or area's work.
Labor in the port is demanding safer equipment this winter.
labor as a collective workforce noun
The company cannot expand without labor from nearby towns.
labor from + place
Cheap labor moved many factories overseas in the 1990s.
Local labor refused the new schedule after the accident.
Skilled labor remains hard to find in small mountain villages.
- workforce
a close equivalent, often used in business or government writing.
- labor force
more statistical; common in economic reports.
- workers
the ordinary plural noun; less abstract than collective 'labor'.
- management
the people who direct work rather than supply labor.
- capital
in economic discussion, money and assets contrasted with labor.
文法句型
skilled labor
cheap labor
labor + in/from + place
用法筆記
Use this sense for workers as the available workforce, not for the unions that speak for them. When the focus is on organizations or political pressure, sense 4 is a better fit.
常見錯誤
4. labor unions and the organized groups that speak and act for workers.
labor unions and the organized groups that speak and act for workers.
Organized labor opposed the bill that cut sick leave.
organized labor — unions acting together
The mayor met labor before announcing changes to the bus system.
meet labor — speak with union leaders
Labor backed the cleaners during the long pay dispute.
Labor groups joined the march outside parliament this morning.
Business leaders and labor reached an agreement after midnight.
- organized labor
the fullest and most explicit expression for this sense.
- the labor movement
emphasizes the broader political and historical campaign for workers' rights.
- the unions
more informal and narrower, focusing on union bodies themselves.
- management
often the negotiating opposite in labor disputes.
- business
a broad opposing side in political or economic reporting.
文法句型
organized labor
labor and management
labor groups
用法筆記
This sense usually appears in political or business reporting. Distinguish it from sense 3, which refers to workers themselves rather than the unions and organizations representing them.
常見錯誤
labor — verb
- laborpresent simple I / you / we / they
- labors3rd person singular
- laboring-ing form
- laboredpast simple
1. to work with great effort for a long time, especially on something difficult.
to work with great effort for a long time, especially on something difficult.
Christopher labored for months to save enough money for school.
labor to + verb
Sade labored over the final report until the sun came up.
labor over + task
The rescue team labored through heavy mud to reach the village.
Bilal labored on the roof all afternoon in the heat.
For years, Lucía labored to build a business of her own.
文法句型
labor on + task
labor over + task
labor to + verb
labor through + difficulty
用法筆記
This verb is more formal than plain 'work hard' and often suggests long, tiring effort. It commonly appears with on, over, through, or a to-infinitive naming the goal.
常見錯誤
2. to go through childbirth as a baby is being born.
to go through childbirth as a baby is being born.
The midwife said Sari had labored for six hours already.
labor for + time
Lucía began to labor soon after the ambulance reached the clinic.
begin to labor
Doctors watched carefully as Anjali labored with her first child.
Élise labored calmly while the nurse counted each contraction.
- give birth
the plain, everyday way to express this idea.
- be in labor
more common as a phrase than as the single verb 'labor'.
文法句型
labor for + time
begin to labor
labor with + child
用法筆記
This sense belongs to childbirth and medical contexts. It is intransitive and often appears with time expressions such as 'for six hours'.