English · Word Candidate

labour

/ˈleɪ.bə/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: labours · labouring · laboured

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

An effort expended on a particular task; toil, work.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Sự cố gắng dành cho một nhiệm vụ cụ thể; lao động, công việc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

[…]So I ſet myſelf to enlarge my Cave and Works farther into the Earth; for it was a looſe ſandy Rock, which yielded eaſily to the Labour I beſtowed on it[…]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

That which requires hard work for its accomplishment; that which demands effort.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Điều gì đòi hỏi lao động nặng nhọc để hoàn thành

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

Being a labour of so great difficulty, the exact performance thereof we may rather wish than look for.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To toil, to work.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Lao động, làm việc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

Standing on the mountain above Caerphilly, one may reflect upon the gap where once stood Llanbradach Viaduct, and look near at hand upon the restored ruins of Caerphilly Castle; man labours to rebuild the mediaeval whilst he ruthlessly scraps the modern.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To belabour, to emphasise or expand upon (a point in a debate, etc).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Làm việc quá mức, nhấn mạnh hoặc mở rộng một điểm trong tranh luận

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

I think we've all got the idea. There's no need to labour the point.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “labour” mean?

An effort expended on a particular task; toil, work.

Is “labour” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.