labour
/ˈleɪ.bər/ (bre, ipa) · [lˈebɚ] /ˈleɪ.bɚ/ (ame, ipa)
labour — noun
- laboursingular
- laboursplural
1. physical activity that people do as their job, especially work that requires a l
physical activity that people do as their job, especially work that requires a lot of strength and is done with the hands or body
The renovation required three days of heavy labour to tear down the old walls.
heavy labour — collocation for strenuous physical work
After years of manual labour, Amira's hands had become rough and very strong.
manual labour — common collocation
Farm workers in many countries still earn very little for their labour in the fields.
Modern machinery has greatly reduced the amount of physical labour on construction sites.
The canal was built by the forced labour of thousands of prisoners in terrible conditions.
用法筆記
Often used in compounds such as 'manual labour', 'hard labour', and 'physical labour'. The US spelling is 'labor'.
常見錯誤
2. the group of people who perform physical or practical work for a living, conside
the group of people who perform physical or practical work for a living, considered together within a company, industry, or country
The company's management met with union leaders to discuss the rights of organised labour.
organised labour = unionised workers
A shortage of skilled labour has slowed the region's recovery after the floods.
skilled labour / labour shortage
Cheap labour in some garment factories has raised serious ethical concerns among consumers worldwide.
The conference brought together representatives from business, government, and labour.
- management
the group of people who direct and control a company
- employers
people or organisations that hire workers
用法筆記
Used as a collective noun in singular form to refer to the whole group of workers. For individual workers, use 'labourer' or 'worker'.
常見錯誤
3. the total amount of time, energy, and careful effort that someone puts into crea
the total amount of time, energy, and careful effort that someone puts into creating something or completing a task over a period
Readers can see the careful labour that went into every page of this illustrated novel.
Hiro put many months of labour into designing the community garden for the local school.
After months of painstaking labour, the research team finally submitted their paper for review.
The film was a labour of love that took its director seven years to complete.
4. the stage of pregnancy in which a baby is born, starting with regular contractio
the stage of pregnancy in which a baby is born, starting with regular contractions of the womb and ending when the infant emerges from the mother
Paloma was in labour for nearly twelve hours before her daughter was born.
in labour — fixed phrase for the childbirth stage
The midwife stayed with Kian's wife throughout her labour, offering encouragement and pain relief.
Modern hospitals offer a range of pain relief options to women during labour.
Roya had a long and difficult labour, but both mother and baby remained healthy.
- childbirth
the broader term covering the whole process of giving birth
- delivery
the medical term for the moment the baby is born
- contractions
specifically refers to the muscle movements, not the full process
用法筆記
Usually used in the uncountable form and in the fixed phrase 'in labour'. Do not add 'of a baby' after 'in labour'.
常見錯誤
5. the name of a major British political organisation, formed to represent the inte
the name of a major British political organisation, formed to represent the interests of working people and now supporting social equality and stronger protections for employees
Eitan has been a member of the Labour Party since he was a university student.
The Labour government introduced free healthcare for all citizens back in 1948.
capitalised: Labour = the British political party
Labour won the general election by a narrow majority of just thirty-two seats.
Party members gathered in Manchester to hear the new Labour leader's first major speech.
用法筆記
Always capitalised when referring to the British political party. Can be used as 'the Labour Party' or simply 'Labour'.
常見錯誤
labour — verb
- labourpresent simple I / you / we / they
- labours3rd person singular
- labouring-ing form
- labouredpast simple
1. to do physical work that requires a lot of strength or effort, often for a long
to do physical work that requires a lot of strength or effort, often for a long time
Jason laboured in the fields from sunrise until dusk during the harvest season.
The miners laboured underground for years, often in dangerous and unhealthy conditions.
Rescue workers laboured through the night to pull survivors from the collapsed building.
Naoko laboured tirelessly to restore the old farmhouse her grandmother had left her.
文法句型
labour + prepositional phrase (place/time/duration)
用法筆記
Typically intransitive. Often followed by a prepositional phrase that describes where, when, or how long someone works. The sense overlaps with noun sense 1.
常見錯誤
2. to carry out a task at a very slow pace because completing it demands a huge amo
to carry out a task at a very slow pace because completing it demands a huge amount of bodily or mental exertion
Imran laboured over his final essay, rewriting each paragraph several times to get it right.
labour over [task] — work on with difficulty
The old truck laboured up the steep mountain road, its engine making strange sounds.
inanimate subject: vehicle labours up a slope
Otis laboured to understand the complex legal documents his lawyer had sent him.
Christopher laboured through the dense textbook, stopping frequently to look up new vocabulary.
- coast
to proceed without much effort
- breeze through
to do something easily and quickly
文法句型
labour over [task]
labour through [difficult material]
labour to [achieve something]
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 1: sense 1 is about sustained physical work in a job context; sense 2 is about slow, difficult progress on any task — physical, mental, or mechanical. The subject can be a person or a machine.
常見錯誤
labour — adjective
- labourpositive
- more labourcomparative
- most laboursuperlative
1. associated with the British Labour Party, a major political organisation that pr
associated with the British Labour Party, a major political organisation that promotes social equality and the rights of workers
Indra voted for the Labour candidate in every local and national election she could.
The Labour member of parliament gave a passionate speech about funding for public schools.
Labour + noun — attributive use
Labour supporters gathered outside the town hall to hear the newly announced election results.
The Labour manifesto promised to increase funding for the National Health Service.
- Conservative
belonging to the main centre-right party in Britain
- Tory
informal term for a Conservative Party member
文法句型
Labour + noun
用法筆記
Always capitalised. Used only before a noun (attributive position). Not used predicatively — you would not say 'the party is Labour' in the same sense.