a. Obs. Forms: 4–7 laborous, 5 -ose, 5–8 labourous, 6 -orouse, -orus, 5–6 -erous, Sc. laubo(u)r(o)us. [a. OF. laboros, -us, laboureux:—L. *labōrōs-us, f. labor LABOUR (cf. dolōrōsus, f. dolor): see -OUS.] = LABORIOUS.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Friar’s T., 130. Myn offyce is ful laborous [Corpus MS. laborious].
a. 1450. Fysshynge w. Angle (1883), 4. Huntyng haukyng and fowlyng be so laborous & greuous þat [etc.].
c. 1450. trans. De Imitatione, III. lii. 125. Wheþer all laborose þinges be not to be suffrid for euerlasting lif?
c. 1460. Ashby, Poems, 87. Be ye therin right laberous.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, XI. 958. His laubourous mynd on othir materis wrocht.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, III. vi. 199. Quhow thow may all laubourus pane sustene.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., II. 72. We nede not a longer or more laborous profe.
1591. Spenser, M. Hubberd, 266. For husbands life is labourous and hard.
1593. T. Hyll, Gardening, 3. Then must you dig a pit (although ye same wil be very labourous).
1656. Earl Monm., Advt. fr. Parnass., 153. Why should we undertake the laborous business of dividing the world into equal partitions?
1704. Lond. Gaz., No. 4057/3, After a labourous … March.
1782. T. Vaughan, Fash. Follies, I. 67. Reading and writing … were too laborous [ed. 2 (1810) laborious] for the nerves of a man of fashion.
Hence † Laborously adv., Laborousness.
c. 1450. trans. De Imitatione, III. v. 69. Oþir, þat … desiren laborously þinges euerlasting. Ibid., III. xxxvi. 106. Þat þat is laboresly goten by mannys witte.
1530. Palsgr., 237/1. Labourousnesse, laboriosité.
1531. Elyot, Gov., III. x. (1880), II. 275. He laborousely and studiousely discussed controuersies.
