1. 1. One who works at a particular occupation or activity: an office worker.
   2. One who does manual or industrial labor.
2. A member of the working class.
3. A member of a colony of social insects such as ants, bees, wasps, or termites, usually a sterile female but often a sexually immature individual of either sex, that performs specialized work such as building the nest, collecting and storing food, and feeding other members of the colony.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.