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A laboratory. [Obs.]

Wrought with labor; requiring labor; hence, tedious; wearisome. "Operose proceeding." Burke. "A very operose calculation." De Quincey. -- Op"er*ose`ly, adv. -- Op"er*ose`ness, n.

Laboriousness. [R.] Bp. Hall.

ion. Shak. This gained Agricola much opinion, who . . . had made such early progress into laborious . . . enterprises. Milton.

An elaborate discourse, delivered in public, treating an important subject in a formal and dignified manner; especially, a discourse having reference to some special occasion, as a funeral, an anniversary, a celebration, or the like; -- distinguished from an argument in court, a popular harangue, a sermon, a lecture, e…

less dramatic text or poem, founded on some Scripture nerrative, or great divine event, elaborately set to music, in recitative, arias, grand choruses, etc., to be sung with an orchestral accompaniment, but without action, scenery, or costume, although the oratorio grew out of the Mysteries and the Miracle and Passion…

Divination by means of birds, their flight, etc. Ornithomancy grew into an elaborate science. De Quincey.

To labor too hard; to do too much.

w beyond; to rise above; hence, to overcome; to oppress. [Obs.] Mortimer. "O'ergrown with labor." Beau. & Fl. [Usually in the past participle.]

e: To supervise; to watch over; sometimes, to observe secretly; as, to overlook a gang of laborers; to overlook one who is writing a letter.

To work beyond the strength; to cause to labor too much or too long; to tire excessively; as, to overwork a horse.

f something done or received; to be indebted to; as, to iwe the grocer for supplies, or a laborer for services.

n which an epithet of a contrary signification is added to a word; e. g., cruel kindness; laborious idleness.

A man who imports, and controls the earnings of, Italian laborers, street musicians, etc.

An elaborate exhibition devised for the entertainmeut of a distinguished personage, or of the public; a show, spectacle, or display. The gaze of fools, and pageant of a day ! Pope. We love the man, the paltry pageant you. Cowper.

See Pains, labor, effort. Bill of pains and penalties. See under Bill. -- To die in the pain, to be tortured to death. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Requiring labor or toil; difficult; executed with laborious effort; as a painful service; a painful march.

Labor; toilsome effort; care or trouble taken; -- plural in form, but used with a singular or plural verb, commonly the former. And all my pains is sorted to no proof. Shak. The pains they had taken was very great. Clarendon. The labored earth your pains have sowed and tilled. Dryden.

An oration or eulogy in praise of some person or achievement; a formal or elaborate encomium; a laudatory discourse; laudation. See Synonym of Eulogy.

To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion or from eagerness or excitement; to respire with heaving of the breast; to gasp. Pluto plants for breath from out his cell. Dryden.