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▪ I. ˈover-ˈlabour, n.
[over- 29.]
†1. Rhet. Excessive elaboration in literary style, loading with too much detail (rendering Gr. περιεργία; cf. L. curiositas).
1589Puttenham Eng. Poesie iii. xxii. (Arb.) 265 The Greekes call it Periergia, we call it ouer-labor, iumpe with the originall.
2. Excessive labour or toil.
1814Sporting Mag. 147 The weariness of over-labour.
▪ II. over-labour, v.|-ˈleɪbə(r)|
[See below.]
1. trans. To overwork; to overcome, fatigue, or harass with excessive labour; to overburden. [over- 21 (?), 23, 27.]
1530Palsgr. 648/2, I overlabour, je me surlaboure,..he overlaboured hym selfe yesterday. 1598R. Grenewey Tacitus, Germanie iii. (1622) 262 It is a rare matter to beat their slaues, or ouer-labour or emprison them. 1671Milton Samson 1327 With shackles tir'd, And over⁓labour'd at thir publick Mill. a1718Penn Maxims Wks. 1726 I. 848 If any Point over-labours thy Mind, divert and relieve it, by some other Subject. 1803J. Kenny Society 11 Those careful thoughts that oft O'er labour Reason to untimely ruin. 1842Manning Serm. xiv. (1848) I. 205 Those who cannot wait on God daily, because they are so over-laboured in doing the nothingnesses of society.
2. To labour excessively at, take too great pains with; to elaborate to excess. [over- 27.]
1588Greene Perimedes 29 Nature in them seemeth to be ouerlaboured with arte. 1797Burke Regic. Peace iii. Wks. VIII. 304 Over-labouring a point of this kind, has the direct contrary effect from what we wish. 1823Examiner 673/2 Earl Grey does not..over-labour a part of a subject.
†3. To surpass in labour. Obs. [over- 22.]
1607Markham Caval. i. (1617) 67 The good stond horse will euer beate and ouerlabour the good Gelding.
†4. ? To belabour. Obs. [over- 8 (?).]
1632Lithgow Trav. viii. 373 These Sauages..ouer-laboured vs with Bastinadoes.
Hence over-ˈlaboured ppl. a., -ˈlabouring vbl. n.
1604Edmonds Observ. Cæsar's Comm. 123 The wearied and ouerlaboured were seconded by fresh supplies. 1626Bernard Isle of Man (1627) 174 Covetousnesse..causeth niggardly house-keeping, and over-labouring of servants. 1734Watts Reliq. Juv. lxxv. (1789) 263 My midnight lamp, and my o'er-labour'd head. 1842Manning Serm. xiv. (1848) I. 205 The poor working man wrings a scant livelihood out of an over-laboured week. |