also: つちかた
noun
construction worker; laborer; navvy
Refers to a manual laborer, especially in construction or civil engineering. The term can carry a somewhat rough or old-fashioned nuance, and is sometimes considered sensitive or derogatory; more neutral alternatives include 建設作業員 or 土木作業員.
彼は若い頃、土方として働いていた。
When he was young, he worked as a construction laborer.
この現場には多くの
This site needs many laborers.
Compound of 土 (earth, soil) and 方 (person, direction). The reading どかた is a kun'yomi compound; the exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has long referred to manual laborers working with earth and construction.