Dictionary

blue-collar en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

From blue + collar. From the color of rugged denim and chambray work shirts often worn by manual workers, as opposed to the white dress shirts typically worn by professionals and clerical workers.

Meanings

1. Working class; engaged or trained in essentially manual labor.
   • The blue-collar, vulnerable McClane of Die Hard wouldn’t even recognize the bulletproof, catchphrase-spouting superhero he’s become in the sequels. 2013 February 14, Scott Tobias, “Film: Reviews: A Good Day To Die Hard”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 29 Mar 2013:
   • Bargaining on this scale led the way for the NUR's successes in negotiating with the Big Four after 1921, and subsequently British Rail. Privatisation has put paid to much of that, but railway workers are still arguably the most powerful blue-collar workforce in Britain today. 2020 January 2, Conrad Landin, “Strife and strikes in post-war Britain”, in Rail, page 53:
   • Blue-collar workers represent a diminishing segment of society.
2. Pertaining to the culture of blue-collar workers.
   • Even as a tenured professor, she remained proud of her blue-collar values.

Forms

Relateds

white-collar · pink-collar

Translations (23)

id kerah biru (working class) · ug كۆك ياقىلىق (working class) · de Arbeiterklasse (working class) · fi työväen (pertaining to the culture of blue-collar workers) · ka ლურჯსაყელოიანი (working class) · fi työläis- (pertaining to the culture of blue-collar workers) · ru «си́ний воротничо́к» (working class) · fi sinikaulus- (working class) · ko 블루칼라 (working class) · ja ブルーカラー (working class) · cy coler las (pertaining to the culture of blue-collar workers) · id kerah biru (pertaining to the culture of blue-collar workers) · fi sinikaulus- (pertaining to the culture of blue-collar workers) · ru рабо́чий (pertaining to the culture of blue-collar workers) · pl z klasy robotniczej (working class) · cmn 藍領 /蓝领 (pertaining to the culture of blue-collar workers) · cy coler las (working class) · ga bóna gorm (working class) · fi työväen (working class) · cmn 藍領 /蓝领 (working class) · ga bóna gorm (pertaining to the culture of blue-collar workers) · pl robotniczy (pertaining to the culture of blue-collar workers) · fi työläis- (working class)

blue-collar en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

From blue + collar. From the color of rugged denim and chambray work shirts often worn by manual workers, as opposed to the white dress shirts typically worn by professionals and clerical workers.

Meanings

1. A blue-collar worker.
   • In ways, these people defined what it was to be a really good lesbian or a really good dyke. For example: You needed to be articulate or aggressive […] You either needed to be a university or community college person, or a real sincere and hardworking blue collar. If you were from one of the outlying towns, you were likely to have a black mark against you in the first place. 1983, Susan Krieger, The Mirror Dance: Identity in a Women's Community, page 14:

Forms