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worker
/ˈwɜːrkər/
person who performs labor
The factory employs hundreds of workers.
The factory has many people who perform labor there.
general
a person who does a job, especially one that involves physical or manual labor
Construction workers built the new bridge.
People who do construction jobs built the new bridge.
Can refer to any type of employee, but often implies manual or blue-collar work.
Engineering
technical
a person who operates a machine or system, especially in an industrial setting
The machine operator is a skilled worker.
The person who operates the machine is a trained worker.
In technical contexts, 'worker' may refer to someone who operates machinery.
Collocations
essential workera worker providing critical services (e.g., healthcare, utilities)blue-collar workera worker in manual or industrial jobswhite-collar workera worker in office or professional jobs
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Context matters
'Worker' can mean different things in different fields—pay attention to context.
Gold Rule
General vs. technical use
In general contexts, 'worker' refers to any employee, while in technical fields, it may refer to machine operators.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'workere', from Old English 'weorcere', meaning 'one who works'
Usage Notes
The term is neutral but can carry connotations of manual labor depending on context.
Word Breakdown
work
labor or effort
root-er
person who does the action
suffixEnglish Dictionary