workhorse
/ˈwɜːkhɔːs/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɚkhˌɔrs] /ˈwɜːrkhɔːrs/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈɚkhˌɔrs] /ˈwərk-ˌhȯrs How to pronounce workhorse (audio)/ (ame, mw)
workhorse — noun
- workhorsesingular
- workhorsesplural
1. someone who steadily carries out important but unglamorous tasks, often without
someone who steadily carries out important but unglamorous tasks, often without much recognition or thanks.
Cole was the office workhorse, arriving at six every morning to sort mail.
collocation: office workhorse
The clinic relied on Minho, a workhorse who treated twice as many patients.
appositive: a workhorse who [does X]
Sirin was the quiet workhorse who processed every donation the charity received.
The kitchen had its workhorse: Tara, who scrubbed every pot without a word of complaint.
Every office has a workhorse, and at Dahlia's company, it was definitely her.
用法筆記
Frequently modified by adjectives like 'quiet', 'steady', 'real', or 'true'. Carries a positive tone — it praises dependability rather than brilliance.
2. a piece of equipment or a vehicle that keeps running dependably for years, even
a piece of equipment or a vehicle that keeps running dependably for years, even if it looks plain or dated.
Cole's old pickup was a workhorse that started every morning for thirty years.
workhorse + that-clause for describing reliability
The factory workhorse was a forty-year-old press that still stamped parts perfectly.
Minho's laptop is a workhorse; battered and slow, it has never crashed once.
That small printer is a workhorse, running all day without a single jam.
Sirin flew a twenty-year-old Cessna, a real workhorse that never needed major repairs.
- lemon
informal — a machine or vehicle that constantly breaks down
用法筆記
Subject is always a machine, vehicle, or piece of equipment. Often used with affection for old but unfailing technology. Distinguished from sense 1: here the subject is inanimate.
3. a player on a team who does the demanding physical work — defending, chasing, ta
a player on a team who does the demanding physical work — defending, chasing, tackling — that helps others shine but rarely makes the headlines.
Cole was the team workhorse, chasing every loose ball while the forwards rested.
collocation: team workhorse
Minho became the midfield workhorse, running twelve kilometres each match without complaint.
compound noun: midfield workhorse
The coach called Sivan the squad's workhorse for covering more ground than anyone else.
Soraya was never the star; as the team's workhorse, she won every tackle.
The rugby team's real workhorse was Elena: thirty tackles a match, zero complaints.
- showboat
a player focused on style and flair over hard work and substance
用法筆記
Domain-specific: used almost exclusively in sports commentary and journalism. Distinguished from sense 1 by the explicit sporting context and emphasis on physical effort rather than general labour.
4. a strong, heavily built horse bred for pulling ploughs, carts, and other farm lo
a strong, heavily built horse bred for pulling ploughs, carts, and other farm loads.
The farmer hitched the workhorse to the plough at dawn and worked till dusk.
Mert's grandfather kept two workhorses for pulling the heavy hay wagon each summer.
The old workhorse plodded up the hill, pulling a cart loaded with firewood.
Before tractors, the Belgian workhorse powered every farm in the valley.
Hui brushed the workhorse's coat after a long day of hauling stones.
- draft horse
neutral, technical term with no metaphorical overtones
- shire horse
a specific British breed of large draft horse
- cart horse
emphasises the horse's role in pulling vehicles rather than ploughing
- riding horse
a horse bred and trained for carrying a rider, not for labour
- racehorse
a horse bred purely for speed and competition
用法筆記
The original, literal sense from which all figurative uses of 'workhorse' derive. Now less frequent than the metaphorical senses 1–3.