Engels

labor

gb/lˈeɪbɚ/ us/lˈeɪbɚ/
B1 Engels
~ 2200
Betekenissen
0 betekenissen
Zelfstandig naamwoord B1 entity
1

Work, especially hard work

Work that needs a lot of physical or mental effort.

Gebruikspatroon: [someone] does labor
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners sometimes confuse 'labor' with 'laboratory' because of similar spelling.
Synoniemen
work (More general term; can refer to any activity done to achieve a purpose, not necessarily hard effort.) | toil (Emphasizes hard, tiring, and continuous work.)
Antoniemen
rest (Represents the absence of work or effort.)
Woordcombinaties
manual labor |hard labor |skilled labor |labor force |labor market
Thema's
work |economy |daily life |core_vocabulary
Voorbeelden
  • The construction of the building required months of manual labor.
  • Farming is hard labor that takes strength and patience.
  • The company reduced costs by outsourcing some of its labor.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
  • I do hard labor in the garden.
  • He found the labor too heavy.
  • The labor took all day.
Zelfstandig naamwoord B1 event
2

Process of childbirth

The process when a woman gives birth to a baby.

Gebruikspatroon: [someone] is in labor
Veelgemaakte fout:
Learners may confuse 'labor' meaning childbirth with 'labor' meaning work; context is important.
Synoniemen
childbirth (More general term for the act of giving birth; 'labor' emphasizes the process before and during delivery.)
Antoniemen
pregnancy (The period before labor begins.)
Woordcombinaties
go into labor |be in labor |labor pains |prolonged labor
Thema's
health |family |body
Voorbeelden
  • She went into labor two weeks early.
  • The doctor monitored her closely during labor.
  • Labor can last for many hours.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
  • She is in labor now.
  • My sister went into labor yesterday.
  • Labor can be very painful.
Zelfstandig naamwoord B2 entity
3

Workers considered as a group

All the workers in a place or country, especially those who do physical work.

Gebruikspatroon: the labor [group/type]
Synoniemen
workforce (Refers to all employees; 'labor' often implies manual or industrial workers.)
Antoniemen
management (Refers to those who run or control a business, as opposed to the workers.)
Woordcombinaties
organized labor |cheap labor |unionized labor |labor unions
Thema's
work |economy |business
Voorbeelden
  • The factory depends on cheap labor from overseas.
  • Organized labor protested against the new policy.
  • Labor unions negotiated better wages.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
  • Labor in this city is expensive.
  • The country needs more skilled labor.
  • Labor is asking for higher pay.
Werkwoord B2 action
4

To work hard for a long time

To work very hard for a long time.

Gebruikspatroon: to labor [on/over] [something]
Synoniemen
toil (Emphasizes exhausting and continuous work.)
Antoniemen
rest (To stop working and recover energy.)
Woordcombinaties
labor over details |labor for hours |labor day and night
Thema's
work |core_vocabulary
Voorbeelden
  • She labored over the report until midnight.
  • Workers labored in the hot sun.
  • They labored for years to complete the project.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
  • I labored on my homework all night.
  • He labored in the field all day.
  • We labored over the plan for weeks.
Werkwoord B2 action
5

To move or progress with great effort

To move or do something slowly and with hard effort.

Gebruikspatroon: to labor [through/under] [something]
Synoniemen
struggle (Implies difficulty but not always physical effort.)
Antoniemen
glide (To move easily without effort.)
Woordcombinaties
labor through a task |labor under a misconception
Thema's
movement |core_vocabulary
Voorbeelden
  • He labored up the steep hill.
  • They labored through the complicated instructions.
  • She labored under the weight of expectation.
Voorbeelden voor taalleerders
  • I labored up the stairs.
  • We labored through the long test.
  • He labored under heavy boxes.
Grammatica
Lemmavorm
labor
IPA
GB/lˈeɪbɚ/
US/lˈeɪbɚ/
Lettergrepen en klemtoon
labor (1 lettergreep)
Stress on 1st syllable (labor)
Woordvormen
Noun
  • Base: labor
  • Variant Spelling: labour
  • Plural: labor, labors
Verb
  • Base: labor
  • Variant Spelling: labour
  • 3rd Person Singular: labors
  • Present Participle: laboring
  • Past: labored
Woordfamilie
Forms
labour verb A2 labors noun laboring verb labored verb
Core family
laborer noun B1
Related words
laborious adjective B2 laboriously adverb
Advanced or less common
unlabored adjective
Highlights
  • Spelling Variant: labour Verb
  • Spelling Variant: labour Noun
Uitdrukkingen

go into labor

1
/ɡˈoʊ ˈɪntu lˈeɪbɚ/
fixed phrase

Start giving birth to a baby

When a woman starts having her baby.

Voorbeelden
  • She went into labor at midnight.
  • The nurse said she might go into labor soon.

hard labor

1
/hˈɑɹd lˈeɪbɚ/
fixed phrase

Physically demanding work as punishment or job

Very hard physical work, sometimes given as punishment in prison.

Voorbeelden
  • The prisoners were sentenced to five years of hard labor.
  • Farming in that climate is hard labor.

organized labor

1
/ˈɔɹɡənˌaɪzd lˈeɪbɚ/
fixed phrase

Unionized workers acting together for rights and benefits

Workers who join together in groups called unions to get better pay and working conditions.

Voorbeelden
  • Organized labor fought for an eight-hour workday.
  • The bill was opposed by organized labor.

labor of love

1
/lˈeɪbɚ əv lˈʌv/
idiom

Work done out of passion not money

Work you do because you enjoy it, not because you get paid well.

Voorbeelden
  • Restoring the old house was a labor of love for them.
  • Writing the book was truly a labor of love.

labor of love

2
/lˈeɪbɚ əv lˈʌv/
idiom

Work done for enjoyment, not pay

Work you do because you enjoy it, not for money.

Voorbeelden
  • Restoring the old house was a real labor of love.
  • Writing the book was a labor of love for her.

manual labor

1
/mˈænjuəl lˈeɪbɚ/
fixed phrase

Physical work by hand

Work where you use your body and hands, not machines or computers.

Voorbeelden
  • The job involves a lot of manual labor in the warehouse.
  • He earns his living through manual labor.
  • Manual labor is tiring but rewarding for some people.
  • Manual labor is tiring but rewarding.

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