Definition of Travail

1. Noun. Concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child. "She was in labor for six hours"


2. Verb. Work hard. "Lexicographers drudge all day long"
Exact synonyms: Dig, Drudge, Fag, Grind, Labor, Labour, Moil, Toil
Generic synonyms: Do Work, Work
Derivative terms: Drudge, Drudge, Drudgery, Grind, Grind, Labor, Labor, Laborer, Labour, Labourer, Toil, Toiler

3. Noun. Use of physical or mental energy; hard work. "They managed only with great exertion"

Definition of Travail

1. n. Labor with pain; severe toil or exertion.

2. v. i. To labor with pain; to toil.

3. v. t. To harass; to tire.

4. n. Same as Travois.

Definition of Travail

1. Noun. (archaic) Arduous or painful exertion; excessive labor, suffering, hardship. (defdate from 13th c.) ¹

2. Noun. Specifically, the labor of childbirth. (defdate from 13th c.) ¹

3. Noun. (obsolete countable) An act of working; labor (qualifier US), labour (qualifier British). (defdate 14th-18th c.) ¹

4. Noun. (obsolete) The eclipse of a celestial object. (defdate 17th c.) ¹

5. Noun. (obsolete form of travel) ¹

6. Verb. To toil. ¹

7. Verb. To go through the labor of childbirth. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Travail

1. to toil [v -ED, -ING, -S] - See also: toil

Medical Definition of Travail

1. To harass; to tire. "As if all these troubles had not been sufficient to travail the realm, a great division fell among the nobility." (Hayward) Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Travail

traumatonesis
traumatopathy
traumatophobia
traumatopnea
traumatopyra
traumatosepsis
traumatotherapy
traunce
traunch
traunt
traunted
traunter
traunters
traunting
traunts
travail (current term)
travailed
travaileth
travailing
travailous
travails
travaux
trave
travel
travel-soiled
travel-stained
travel-worn
travel agencies
travel agency
travel agent

Literary usage of Travail

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language by Walter William Skeat (1893)
"2. 81 ; which may mean to trim or lop. Der. trash-y. travail ... Whence also travail, ' the frame whereinto farriers put unruly horses,' Cot. ..."

2. Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature by H.W. Wilson Company (1915)
"... Alan Russia in travail. Liv Age 287:54-6 O 2 '15 Russia's neglected north. Contemp 107:49-57 Ja '15 Letitia; story. GA Smith. ..."

3. Publications by English Dialect Society (1850)
"... to travail,) giveing the last Embraces to his onely Son, Brothers parting in Tears, and the dearest ..."

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