worker
UK: ˈwɜːkə | US: ˈwɜːrkər
n. a person who performs physical or mental labor, especially as part of a job
n. an employee in a specific industry or role (e.g., factory worker)
n. (biology) a sterile member of a social insect colony (e.g., worker bee)
worker = work<labor> + er<agent noun suffix>
- work: From Old English weorc (physical/mental effort, task), Proto-Germanic werkan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European werg- (to do). Retains core meaning of productive activity.
- er: Agentive suffix from Old English -ere, used to denote "one who does X." Common in occupational terms (e.g., teacher, baker).
Etymology Origin:
The word worker emerged in Middle English (14th century) by combining the enduring Germanic root work with the agentive suffix -er. Its logic is transparent: "one who works." The term reflects societal shifts toward labor specialization during industrialization, expanding from manual labor to include intellectual and insect-colony roles.
The factory worker assembled parts with precision.
She is a dedicated social worker helping vulnerable communities.
Worker ants forage for food to sustain the colony.
The company hired seasonal workers for the harvest.
As a freelance worker, he manages his own schedule.