labor (old form labos, like arbos, honos, etc., Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 35; id. Truc. 2, 6, 40; Ter. Hec. 3, 1, 6; Varr. ap. Non. 487, 13; Cat. 55, 13; Sall. C. 7, 5; id. J. 100, 4; cf. Quint. 1, 4, 13), ōris, m. Sanscr. root rabh, to grasp, ā-rabh, to undertake; Gr. ἀλφ- in ἦλφον, earned, ἄλφημα, wages; Germ. Arbeit, labor, toil, exertion (cf.: contentio, opera). Lit.: ut ingenium est omnium Hominum a labore proclive ad libidinem, Ter. And. 1, 1, 51: haud existimans quanto labore partum, id. Phorm. 1, 1, 12: interest aliquid inter laborem et dolorem: sunt finitima omnino, sed tamen differt aliquid. Labor est functio quaedam vel animi vel corporis, gravioris operis et muneris: dolor autem motus asper in corpore alienus a sensibus, Cic. Tusc. 2, 15, 35: corporis, id. Cael. 17, 39: res est magni laboris, id. de Or. 1, 33, 150: laborem sibi sumere et alteri imponere, id. Mur. 18, 38: sumptum et laborem insumere in rem aliquam, id. Inv. 2, 38, 113; cf. Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 98, § 227: multum operae laborisque consumere, id. de Or. 1, 55, 234: laborem sustinere, id. Att. 1, 17, 6: exantlare, id. Ac. 2, 34, 108: suscipere, id. Opt. Gen. Or. 5, 13: subire, id. Att. 3, 15, 7: capere, id. Rosc. Com. 16, 49: labores magnos excipere, id. Brut. 69, 243: se in magnis laboribus exercere, id. Arch. 11, 28: summi laboris esse, capable of great exertion, Caes. B. G. 4, 2, 2: laborem levare alicui, Cic. Or. 34, 120: detrahere, id. Fam. 3, 6, 5: ex labore se reficere, Caes. B. G. 3, 5; 5, 11: victus suppeditabatur sine labore, Cic. Sest. 48, 103: non est quod existumes, ullam esse sine labore virtutem, Sen. Vit. Beat. 25, 5; Suet. Ner. 52; Quint. 2, 12, 12; cf.: nullo labore, Cic. Dom. 34, 91; id. Sest. 40, 87; id. Tusc. 2, 22, 51: quantum meruit labor, Juv. 7, 216: reddere sua dona labori, id. 16, 57: numerenter labores, be valued, id. 9, 42.

— In partic. Pregn., drudgery, hardship, fatigue, distress, trouble, pain, suffering (mostly poet. and late Lat.; syn. aerumna): decet id pati animo aequo; si id facietis, levior labos erit, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 2: propter meum caput labores homini evenisse optumo, id. ib. 5, 1, 25: cum labore magno et misere vivere, id. Aul. prol. 14; id. Ps. 2, 4, 2: hoc evenit in labore atque in dolore, id. ib. 2, 3, 20: vel in labore meo vel in honore, Cic. Fam. 15, 18: Iliacos audire labores, Verg. A. 4, 78: mox et frumentis labor additus, ut mala culmos Esset rubigo, id. G. 1, 150: belli labores, id. A. 11, 126; cf. id. ib. 2, 619; 12, 727: labor militiae, Juv. 16, 52: castrorum labores, id. 14, 198: Lucinae labores, Verg. G. 4, 340: cor de labore pectus tundit, Plaut. Cas. 2, 6, 63: hoc medicamentum sine magno labore cadere cogit haemorrhoidas, Scrib. 227: litterarius, = opus, Aug. Conf. 9, 2; id. cont. Jul. 6, 21: meos labores legere, id. de Don. Pers. 68.

—Of sickness: valetudo crescit, accrescit labor. Plaut. Curc. 2, 1, 4: sulphurosi fontes labores nervorum reficiunt, Vitr. 8, 3, 4.

—Of danger: maximus autem earum (apium) labor est initio veris, Col. 9, 13, 2.

—Prov.: jucundi acti labores, Cic. Fin. 2, 32, 105: suavis laborum est praeteritorum memoria, id. ib.

— Poet. Labores solis, eclipses of the sun, Verg. A. 1, 742 Forbig. ad loc.; so, defectus solis varios lunaeque labores, id. G. 1, 478; Sil. 14, 378.

— Of plants: hunc laborem perferre, i. e. growth, Verg. G. 2, 343.

— Personified: Labos, toil, in the lower world, Verg. A. 6, 277.

— Meton., of the products of labor. Work, workmanship of an artist (poet.): operum, Verg. A. 1, 455: hic labor ille domūs, id. ib. 6, 27: nec non Polycleti multus ubique labor, Juv. 8, 104.

— Of cultivated plants, crops, etc.: ruit arduus aether et pluvia ingenti sata laeta boumque labores Diluit, Verg. G. 1, 325; cf.: haec cum sint hominumque boumque labores, id. ib. 1, 118: Juppiter Grandine dilapidans hominumque boumque labores, Col. poet. 10, 330; Verg. A. 2, 284; 306.

— Labores uteri, i. e. children, Claud. Rapt. Pros. 1, 193.