travail
[truh-veyl, trav-eyl]
- painfully difficult or burdensome work; toil.
- pain, anguish or suffering resulting from mental or physical hardship.
- the pain of childbirth.
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- to suffer the pangs of childbirth; be in labor.
- to toil or exert oneself.
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Origin of travail
1200–50; (v.) Middle English travaillen < Old French travaillier to torment < Vulgar Latin *trepaliāre to torture, derivative of Late Latin trepālium torture chamber, literally, instrument of torture made with three stakes (see tri-, pale2); (noun) Middle English < Old French: suffering, derivative of travailler
Synonyms
See more synonyms for travail on Thesaurus.com1. labor, moil. 2. torment, agony.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for travail
Historical Examples
But it could be that Travail knew of the value of Sutter's shell collection.
Made in TanganyikaCarl Richard Jacobi
As he drove he mused over what Travail would say when he saw these shells.
Made in TanganyikaCarl Richard Jacobi
"I was looking for my tobacco pouch," Travail replied easily.
Made in TanganyikaCarl Richard Jacobi
"I'll do nothing of the sort," said Travail, starting to back away.
Made in TanganyikaCarl Richard Jacobi
His hands shook, his stalwart frame trembled as with the agony of travail.
His MasterpieceEmile Zola
travail
- painful or excessive labour or exertion
- the pangs of childbirth; labour
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- (intr) to suffer or labour painfully, esp in childbirth
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Word Origin
C13: from Old French travaillier, from Vulgar Latin tripaliāre (unattested) to torture, from Late Latin trepālium instrument of torture, from Latin tripālis having three stakes, from trēs three + pālus stake
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for travail
n.
"labor, toil," mid-13c., from Old French travail "suffering or painful effort, trouble" (12c.), from travailler "to toil, labor," originally "to trouble, torture," from Vulgar Latin *tripaliare "to torture," from *tripalium (in Late Latin trepalium) "instrument of torture," probably from Latin tripalis "having three stakes" (from tria, tres "three" + palus "stake"), which sounds ominous, but the exact notion is obscure. The verb is recorded from late 13c.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper