Labour (Verb)
Meaning 1
Strive and make an effort to reach a goal; "She tugged for years to make a decent living"; "We have to push a little to make the deadline!"; "She is driving away at her doctoral thesis".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- She laboured tirelessly for months to finish her novel in time for the publishing deadline.
- The entire marketing team laboured to create an ad campaign that would appeal to the younger demographic.
- They laboured against the clock to ready the house for sale by the end of the summer.
- Throughout her athletic career, she laboured to maintain her top physical condition.
- The entrepreneur laboured at building her business from scratch, overcoming numerous challenges along the way.
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Meaning 2
Undergo the efforts of childbirth.
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- Sarah was rushed to the hospital as she began to labour, with her husband by her side.
- The mother-to-be laboured through the night before finally giving birth to a healthy baby girl.
- Emily started to labour early in the morning but had to wait another 12 hours before her baby was born.
- The expectant mother had been labouring for hours before the doctor decided on a cesarean section.
- After 48 hours of intense labour, Laura welcomed her first child into the world.
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Meaning 3
Work hard; "She was digging away at her math homework"; "Lexicographers drudge all day long".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- Farmers labour from dawn till dusk in the fields to bring in the harvest.
- The construction workers labour tirelessly to meet the project deadline.
- She labours over her writing, making sure every sentence is perfect.
- Scientists labour for years to discover new cures for deadly diseases.
- He labours at the pottery wheel, shaping the clay into a beautiful vase.