a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
"there is a shortage of skilled labor in this field"
concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child
"she was in labor for six hours"
an organized attempt by workers to improve their status by united action (particularly via labor unions) or the leaders of this movement
"The local union voted to strike after management refused to negotiate fair wages."
a political party formed in Great Britain in 1900; characterized by the promotion of labor's interests and formerly the socialization of key industries
"After decades of campaigning for workers' rights, the party finally secured its place as a major force within British politics."
the federal department responsible for promoting the working conditions of wage earners in the United States; created in 1913
"The labor department intervened after investigators found that several factories were violating safety standards set since its creation in 1913."
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
"he prepared for great undertakings"
Effort expended on a particular task; toil, work.
"The heavy labor of clearing the snow from the driveway took all afternoon."
In plain English: Labor is physical work or effort that someone does to get something done.
"The project required many hours of hard labor to complete."
Usage: Use labor to describe physical exertion or strenuous work, often implying difficulty or effort. It is frequently used in phrases like "hard labor" to emphasize the demanding nature of the task.
US standard spelling of labour.
"The company requires all employees to use the American spelling of labor on their official documents."
In plain English: To labor means to work very hard for a long time, often feeling tired while doing it.
"The workers labor long hours in the hot sun to build the new bridge."
Usage: Use "labor" as the standard American English spelling when describing the act of working hard or exerting great effort. It functions identically to the British "labour" but must be paired with American spelling conventions in your writing.
The Australian Labor Party.
"The genealogy book listed Labor as a rare French surname for several families in the region."
A surname, from French.
This word is a variant spelling of Labarre. It entered English as an alternative form without changing its original meaning or origin.