travail
[ truh-veyl, trav-eyl ]
/ trəˈveɪl, ˈtræv eɪl /
noun
painfully difficult or burdensome work; toil.
pain, anguish or suffering resulting from mental or physical hardship.
the pain of childbirth.
verb (used without object)
to suffer the pangs of childbirth; be in labor.
to toil or exert oneself.
Nearby words
traumato-, traumatogenic occlusion, traumatology, traumatopnea, trav., travail, travancore, trave, travel, travel agency, travel agent
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
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for travails
British Dictionary definitions for travails
travail
/ (ˈtræveɪl) literary /
noun
painful or excessive labour or exertion
the pangs of childbirth; labour
verb
(intr) to suffer or labour painfully, esp in childbirth
Word Origin for travail
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
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