| Library / English Dictionary |
WORKHORSE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A horse used for plowing and hauling and other heavy labor
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("workhorse" is a kind of...):
Equus caballus; horse (solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "workhorse"):
plough horse; plow horse (a horse used to pull a plow)
draft horse; draught horse; dray horse (horse adapted for drawing heavy loads)
packhorse (a workhorse used as a pack animal)
dobbin; farm horse (a quiet plodding workhorse)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Machine that performs dependably under heavy use
Example:
the IBM main frame computers have been the workhorse of the business world
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("workhorse" is a kind of...):
machine (any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks)
