From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Travail \Tra`vail"\, n. [Cf. F. travail, a frame for confining a
horse, or OF. travail beam, and E. trave, n. Cf. {Travail},
v. i.]
Same as {Travois}.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Travail \Trav"ail\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Travailed}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Travailing}.] [F. travailler, OF. traveillier,
travaillier, to labor, toil, torment; cf. Pr. trebalhar to
torment, agitate. See {Travail}, n.]
1. To labor with pain; to toil. [Archaic] "Slothful persons
which will not travail for their livings." --Latimer.
[1913 Webster]
2. To suffer the pangs of childbirth; to be in labor.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Travail \Trav"ail\, v. t.
To harass; to tire. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
As if all these troubles had not been sufficient to
travail the realm, a great division fell among the
nobility. --Hayward.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Travail \Trav"ail\ (?; 48), n. [F. travail; cf. Pr. trabalh,
trebalh, toil, torment, torture; probably from LL. trepalium
a place where criminals are tortured, instrument of torture.
But the French word may be akin to L. trabs a beam, or have
been influenced by a derivative from trabs (cf. {Trave}). Cf.
{Travel}.]
1. Labor with pain; severe toil or exertion.
[1913 Webster]
As everything of price, so this doth require
travail. --Hooker.
[1913 Webster]
2. Parturition; labor; as, an easy travail.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
travail
n 1: concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of
contractions to the birth of a child; "she was in labor for
six hours" [syn: {parturiency}, {labor}, {labour},
{confinement}, {lying-in}, {travail}, {childbed}]
2: use of physical or mental energy; hard work; "he got an A for
effort"; "they managed only with great exertion" [syn:
{effort}, {elbow grease}, {exertion}, {travail}, {sweat}]
v 1: work hard; "She was digging away at her math homework";
"Lexicographers drudge all day long" [syn: {labor},
{labour}, {toil}, {fag}, {travail}, {grind}, {drudge},
{dig}, {moil}]
From French-English FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.3.4 [fd-fra-eng]:
travail /tʀavaj/
work; employment
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