labour
Translation
labor, work, toil, childbirth
Examples
The work involves a lot of manual labour.
The work involves a lot of manual labor.
There is a shortage of skilled labour.
There is a shortage of skilled labor.
She was in labour for twelve hours.
She was in labor for twelve hours.
Grammar Patterns
((uncountable)) work, especially physical work The work involves a lot of manual labor.
((uncountable)) the people who work for a company or in a country There is a shortage of skilled labor.
in ~ the process of giving birth She was in labor for twelve hours.
Similar Words
Synonyms: work, effort, toil, exertion
Etymology
From Old French 'labour', from Latin 'labor' meaning 'toil, work, exertion'. The US spelling is 'labor'.
Memory Tips
This word means work, especially physical work. It also refers to the process of childbirth.