plough horse

• Cheval utilisé pour tirer la charrue, évoquant souvent un animal fort, endurant et travailleur ; au sens figuré, peut désigner une personne qui travaille dur, de manière fiable et sans se plaindre.

A horse used for pulling a plough, often implying a strong, steady, and hardworking animal; metaphorically, it can refer to a person who works diligently and reliably without complaint.

1. Literal meaningB1formal

   A horse used for pulling a plough in farming.

   cheval de trait pour la charrue

   • The farmer relied on his strong plough horse to till the fields.
   • Plough horses are bred for endurance and strength.
   • The old plough horse rested after a long day of work.

2. Figurative meaningB2informal

   A person who works hard and steadily, often without complaint, like a workhorse.

   cheval de trait (sens figuré)

   • He's a real plough horse, always putting in extra hours at the office.
   • She's the plough horse of the team, handling all the tedious tasks.
   • Don't treat him like a plough horse; he needs a break too.