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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LABOUR, n., v. Also labor, lawbo(u)r, lauber, laaber, -ir, -bo(u)r; labber, in sense II. 2. [Sc. ‡′lɑ:bər; in sense II. 2. ′lɑbər]

I. n. As in Eng.; specif. of agricultural work, esp. tillage, the ploughing and cropping of the land (Cai. 1902 E.D.D.; I.Sc., Fif., Lth. 1960); also of unskilled work in the lead-mines at Wanlockhead (Dmf. 1960). Adj. laborous, labouring. In Eng., now obs., in the sense of laborious.Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 95:
The reapers . . . accoutred for the lab'rous toil.Ayr. 1799 Edb. Weekly Jnl. (4 Sept.):
Mostly all arable, extensive good Meadow Ground, rich Holms, and green Pasture, properly adapted either for Sheep Stock, Black Cattle, or Labour.Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds ii.:
The labourous folk . . . with their wages.wm.Sc. 1854 Laird of Logan 51:
I'm a lawborous man, and I tell't the man wha bid me come here, that I couldna do't without losing my wages.Abd. 1875 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 191:
Eesin's han'ies at roch lawbour the furth.Gall. 1900 R. J. Muir Mystery Muncraig iv.:
It's the duty o' a lawborous man to eat and wame himsel'.Abd. 1929 W. Littlejohn Cottar Stories 7:
The farmer drank a glass himself, then filled the glass again, and poured it over the bridle of the plough, at the same time repeating the words, “Gweed speed the lawbour.”

II. v. 1. To till or cultivate (the ground) (Sc. 1787 J. Beattie Scotticisms 51; I.Sc., Fif., Lth., Uls. 1960).Abd. 1713 Fintray Court Bk. (S.C. Misc.) I. 24–5:
Every tennent . . . whether he be to sit or flitt, shall labour no more but the two third parts of his burnt land and laigh land.Slg. 1733 Burgh Rec. Slg. (1889) II. 225:
The said yaird . . . to be laboured for kitchen herbs and roots only.Sc. 1745 D. Nicholas Intercepted Post (1956) 39:
Write me if I'm to cause labour the Rigs at the back of the parks of Inchdrewer or not.Sc. a.1800 Merry Muses (1911) 86:
But a' the faut I had to him, He couldna labour lea.Sh. 1845 Stat. Acc.² XV. 118:
The outfield is uniformly laboured to oats.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xliv.:
There's hardly a cannas breid upo' the place but's been lawbour't wi' yer nain han's owre an' owre again to mak' it.Sc. 1907 N. Munro Daft Days xix.:
I'm getting it by the stone from every bit o' grun' I'm labourin' in.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 12:
He wad get Benjie tae laabour the heathery brecks that Andra Stevenson ca'ed a ferm.

Hence (1) labourer, one who works on the land, a cultivator, a small farmer; (2) labouring, tillage (Sh. 1960); a farm (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 181), arable ground. Also attrib.(1) Lnk. 1719 Minutes J.P.s (S.H.S.) 195:
Many inconveniences ariseing from labourers of the ground furnishing their servants with ground for lintseed sowing.(2) m.Lth. 1710 D. Robertson Bailies of Leith (1915) 125:
Complaint hath been made to us by severall of the inhabitants of Leith that hath labouring in and about the said Toun that there is great quantitys of their Corn stollen.Sc. 1741 Caled. Mercury (15 June):
The Middle Mains of Selms, a sufficient Labouring for one Plough, with a convenient Mansion-house.Sc. a.1814 J. Ramsay Scot. and Scotsmen (1888) II. 229:
Before that time he had a farm or labouring (as it was called) managed in the old style, with the addition of clover and rye-grass for hay.Fif. 1831 Fife Herald (17 Nov.):
With the whole Carts, Ploughs, Harnessing, and Labouring Utensils.Sh. 1899 Shetland News (11 March):
Doo canna be expeckit ta be fechtin' wi' a laaberin', an' for my pairt . . . A'm sick an tired o' laaberin's.

2. To beat, thrash, batter, belabour (Sh., Ags., Per., Lth., Bwk., Ayr., Kcb., Rxb., Uls. 1960). Now obs. in Eng. Vbl.n. labberin, a hiding (Ib.).Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 112:
'Twas but the last week that I labour'd a birkie.Rxb. 1874 Border Treasury (17 Oct.) 149:
But I'se gie Simey sic a labberin' some day, or I'm sair cheatit!Rxb. 1876 W. Brockie Confessional 185:
The turkey's labbert a chicken to dead.Kcd. 1900 W. Gairdner Glengoyne I. 19:
But I gat a haud o' ye baith and labor't ye weel wi' a swack broom cow.Kcb. 1901 R. D. Trotter Gall. Gossip 111:
The verra law . . . alloos them tae lawbor their wifes wi a rung.Sh. 1956 Sh. Community Mag. No. 2. 10:
Lashin and lauberin we da taengs.Ayr. 1999:
A'll labber ye [I'll hit you]. A labbert it wi ma sling. A'll gie ye a labberin.