hand labourerhand laborern.
/ˈhan(d) ˌleɪb(ə)rə/, U.S. /ˈhæn(d) ˌleɪb(ə)rər/ A person who works with his or her hands; a manual labourer; (in later use) esp. a person whose work is done by hand as opposed to by machine. Cf. hand labour n., handworker n.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > manual or industrial worker > [noun] > manual worker
workmaneOE
handworker1480
manuary1581
hand labourer1583
manualist1592
operator1598
apron-mana1616
aproneer1659
apron-rogue1664
handler1763
blue-collar1951
1583 in J. D. Marwick Extracts Rec. Burgh Edinb. (1882) IV. 268 Qualifeit persouns.., maist expert hand lawboreris of thair awin craft.
1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Manifattore..a hand-labourer.
1603 H. Broughton Declar. Gen. Corruption Relig. All Israell (saving hand-laborers) frequented divinity schooles to heare and speak twise a weeke.
a1640 T. Jackson Μαραν Αθα (1657) xi. xlvi. 3788 As if we would imagine a curious Architect could erect a stately Palace in a moment without the help of any Hand-Labourer.
1785 R. Geoghegan Thoughts Patricius xv. 84 From the most distinguished mechanist or artist down to the cobler or speadsman, we call them hand-labourers.
1845 Allen's Indian Mail 24 May 287/1 The hand-labourers of India cannot compete with the machinery of Europe.
1878 N. Amer. Rev. Sept. 265 The mere hand-laborer is thrown out of employment.
1930 W. E. Wickenden in C. A. Beard Toward Civilization xiii. 266 Professional workers as well as hand laborers must expect to retrain at intervals.
1986 New Sci. 23 Jan. 47/1 I use my son's tractor for ploughing, but no other machines... I have spare hand labourers in my own family.
2010 Mail Tribune (Medford, Oregon) (Nexis) 25 July Hand laborers will clean up tailings he can't reach with the machine.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1583