labor

labor
{{11}}labor (n.) c.1300, "a task, a project;" later "exertion of the body; trouble, difficulty, hardship" (late 14c.), from O.Fr. labor "labor, toil, work, exertion, task" (12c., Mod.Fr. labeur), from L. laborem (nom. labor) "labor, toil, exertion; hardship, pain, fatigue; a work, a product of labor," of uncertain origin, perhaps originally from the notion of "tottering under a burden," and related to labere "to totter." Meaning "body of laborers considered as a class" (usually contrasted to capitalists) is from 1839. Sense of "physical exertions of childbirth" is 1590s, earlier labour of birthe (early 15c.), a sense also found in Old French, and Cf. French en travail "in (childbirth) suffering" (see TRAVAIL (Cf. travail)). Labor Day first marked 1882 in New York City.
{{12}}labor (v.) late 14c., "perform manual or physical work; work hard; keep busy; take pains, strive, endeavor" (also "copulate"), from O.Fr. laborer "work, toil; struggle, have difficulty," from L. laborare, from labor (see LABOR (Cf. labor) (n.)). The verb in modern French, Spanish, Portuguese means "to plow;" the wider sense being taken by the equivalent of English travail. Sense of "to endure pain, suffer" is early 15c., especially in phrase labor of child. Related: LABORED (Cf. Labored); laboring.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Labor — Labor …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • labor — (Del lat. labor, ōris). 1. f. Acción y efecto de trabajar. 2. Adorno tejido o hecho a mano, en la tela, o ejecutado de otro modo en otras cosas. U. m. en pl.) 3. Obra de coser, bordar, etc. 4. Labranza, en especial la de las tierras que se… …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • LABOR — et exercitium, torpentem in nobis excitat ealorem, eoque et spiritus reddit vegetos et alacres: atque, ut ventilatio paleas e tririco et spicas inanes flatu dispellit. ita exercitatio quoque fugat noxios e corpore humores. Quâ similitudine hoc… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • labor — sustantivo femenino 1. Trabajo o actividad de una persona: Estaba muy ocupado con su labor. Ha hecho una labor excelente en la organización. Desarrolla su labor por las noches. Cuidar a estos niños es una labor callada. 2. (preferentemente en… …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • labor — I (exertion) noun discipline, effort, endeavor, energy, enterprise, industry, mental toil, pains, strain, strife II (work) noun advocation, assignment, calling, craft, duty, employ, employment, job, line of business, line of work, occupation,… …   Law dictionary

  • labor — (Brit. labour) ► NOUN 1) work, especially hard physical work. 2) workers collectively. 3) (Labor) the Labor Party. 4) the process of childbirth. ► VERB 1) work hard …   English terms dictionary

  • Labor — La bor (l[=a] b[ e]r), n. [OE. labour, OF. labour, laber, labur, F. labeur, L. labor; cf. Gr. lamba nein to take, Skr. labh to get, seize.] [Written also {labour}.] 1. Physical toil or bodily exertion, especially when fatiguing, irksome, or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • labor — labor, no estar por la labor expr. no estar dispuesto a hacer algo. ❙ «Si no estás por la labor de sudar, siempre te queda el jacuzzi...» Juanma Iturriaga, Con chandal y a lo loco. ❙ «Necesito alas, ánimos, una inteligencia cómplice a mi lado, y… …   Diccionario del Argot "El Sohez"

  • labor — [lā′bər] n. [OFr < L, labor, orig., hardship, pain, prob. < base of labi, to slip, totter: see LAP1] 1. physical or mental exertion; work; toil 2. a specific task; piece of work 3. a) all wage earning workers as a group: distinguished from… …   English World dictionary

  • Labor — La bor, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Labored}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Laboring}.] [OE. labouren, F. labourer, L. laborare. See {Labor}, n.] [Written also {labour}.] 1. To exert muscular strength; to exert one s strength with painful effort, particularly in… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • labor — [n1] work, undertaking activity, chore, daily grind, diligence, drudgery, effort, employment, endeavor, energy, exercise, exertion, grind*, gruntwork*, industry, job, moonlight*, operation, pains*, pull, push, strain, stress, struggle, sweat,… …   New thesaurus

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