English Explanatory Dictionary

sweat of one's brow

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The effort extended in (often manual) labour, and the value created thereby.

Pronunciation

/ˈswɛt əv wɒnz ˈbɹaʊ/ /ˈswɛt əv wʌnz ˈbɹaʊ/ En-au-sweat of one's brow.ogg

Word forms

sweat of one's brow

Etymology

A reference to Genesis 3:17 and 19 in the Bible (King James Version; spelling modernized): “And unto Adam he [God] said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, … In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground: …”, meaning that due to disobedience to God, humans would henceforth have to exert labour for their food, causing their brows or foreheads to perspire.

Synonyms

sweat of one's brows sweat of one's face

Related words

sweat of the brow
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