labourer

Everyday

A person whose job is hard physical work, such as building, digging or farming, usually without special training. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons, labourers built canals and railways and worked on farms and in factories. In everyday life, a builder's labourer carries bricks on a building site. In Bible stories, Jesus told a parable about labourers in a vineyard. Phrases: farm labourer, day labourer, builder's labourer.

Examples

• The labourers dug the trench for the new pipe. tree →
• My great-grandad was a farm labourer. tree →
• Thousands of labourers built the railway. tree →
• In the parable, the labourers in the vineyard were all paid the same. tree →
• The labourer carried bricks up the ladder. tree →
• Labourers often work outside in all weathers. tree →
• ‘I want to get work as a day labourer,’ he answered. tree →

Note

UK, Australia, NZ, Ireland and Canada usually spell labourer; the USA spells laborer. Related: labour (work), laboratory (a science room, different meaning).