noun
worker
WUR-kuh
noun
1
A person who performs labor, especially for pay.
"The factory employs over two hundred workers."
"She's a dedicated healthcare worker."
2
A non-reproductive social insect, such as a worker bee or ant, that performs labor for the colony.
"Worker bees collect nectar and defend the hive."
How to Use Worker
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone (or, in insects, something) that does labor.
Common pairings
factory worker
worker bee
skilled worker
Word Forms
workers plural
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The factory employs over two hundred _____.
Etymology
From "work" plus the suffix "-er," denoting someone who does the action. It gradually replaced the older word "wright."