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.

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

Example sentences from the Web for travailing

British Dictionary definitions for travailing

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