Dictionary

workhorse en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈwøːkˌhoːs/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈwɜːkˌhɔːs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (California) audio
• /ˈwɜːkˌhoːs/ (Australia)
• /ˈwɝkˌhoɹs/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English werkehorse, equivalent to work + horse.

Meanings

1. A horse used primarily for manual labor; a draft/draught horse.
2. (broadly, figuratively) A person or piece of equipment that performs a lot of work, especially one heavily relied upon to perform consistently and regularly.
   • Those old machines are not very glamorous, but even 20 years after their introduction, they are still the workhorses of the industry.
   • "Class 08s have been the workhorses of ports, distribution centres and depots across Britain's railway for more than 60 years," said Positive Traction Director Alistair Gregory. 2023 November 1, “Network News: Strong industry interest as Positive Traction launches '08e'”, in RAIL, number 995, page 18:
   • Captain Harry Kane was the workhorse and creator, while Sterling and Rashford provided the finishing flourishes that put England in dreamland at the interval. 2018 October 15, Phil McNulty, “Spain 2-3 England”, in BBC Sport:

Forms

Hypernyms

beast of burden

Relateds

workaholic · wheelhorse · yardhorse · warhorse · powerhouse

Synonyms

draught horse · carthorse · draft horse · aver

Translations (34)

ru тя́гловая ло́шадь (horse used primarily for work) · ru ломова́я ло́шадь (horse used primarily for work) · es caballo breteador (horse used primarily for work) · es chambero (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · fr bourreau de travail (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · de Arbeitstier (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · nl werkpaard (horse used primarily for work) · nl werkpaard (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · pl koń roboczy (horse used primarily for work) · ro cal de tracțiune (horse used primarily for work) · da arbejdshest (horse used primarily for work) · pl wół roboczy (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · az işlək at (horse used primarily for work) · fi työjuhta (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · is hamhleypa til vinnu (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · ru стаха́новец (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · is víkingur til vinnu (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · hu igásló (horse used primarily for work) · nb arbeidshest (horse used primarily for work) · ba эш аты (horse used primarily for work) · fi työhevonen (horse used primarily for work) · ga capall oibre (horse used primarily for work) · de Arbeitspferd (horse used primarily for work) · nn arbeidshest (horse used primarily for work) · es caballo de tiro (horse used primarily for work) · nb arbeidshest (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · da arbejdshest (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · nn arbeidshest (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · ru ломова́я ло́шадь (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently) · izh tööhepoin (horse used primarily for work) · is klár (horse used primarily for work) · es caballo trabajador (horse used primarily for work) · sv arbetshäst (horse used primarily for work) · es chambeador (person or equipment heavily relied upon to work consistently)