5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  As  everything  of  price,  so  this  doth  require 
  travail.  --Hooker. 
 
  2.  Parturition;  labor;  as  an  easy  travail. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  2.  To  suffer  the  pangs  of  childbirth;  to  be  in  labor. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Travail  \Trav"ail\,  v.  t. 
  To  harass;  to  tire.  [Obs.] 
 
  As  if  all  these  troubles  had  not  been  sufficient  to 
  travail  the  realm,  a  great  division  fell  among  the 
  nobility.  --Hayward. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  travail 
  n  1:  concluding  state  of  pregnancy;  from  the  onset  of  labor  to 
  the  birth  of  a  child;  "she  was  in  labor  for  six  hours" 
  [syn:  {parturiency},  {labor},  {labour},  {confinement},  {lying-in}, 
  {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},  {sweat}] 
  v  :  work  hard;  "She  was  digging  away  at  her  math  homework"  [syn: 
  {labor},  {labour},  {toil},  {fag},  {grind},  {drudge},  {dig}, 
  {moil}] 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words