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overlabour. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
overlabour, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
overlabour in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
overlabour you have here. The definition of the word
overlabour will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
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English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From over- + labour (noun).
Noun
overlabour (uncountable)
- Excessive labour.
1684, John Dryden, The History of the League, translation of Histoire de la Ligue by Louis Maimbourg:a disease which he had brought upon himself, by his over-labour at a Siege
Etymology 2
From Middle English over-labouren, equivalent to over- + labour (verb).
Verb
overlabour (third-person singular simple present overlabours, present participle overlabouring, simple past and past participle overlaboured)
- (transitive) To cause to labour excessively; to overwork.
1697, Virgil, “The Second Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC, page 95:But over labour'd with ſo long a Courſe,
Tis time to ſet at eaſe the ſmoaking Horſe.
- (transitive) To labour upon excessively; to refine unduly.