travail
travail definition
trav·ail (trə vāl′, trav′āl′)
noun
- very hard work; toil
- labor pains; pains of childbirth
- intense pain; agony
Etymology: OFr < VL *tripalium, instrument of torture composed of three stakes < LL tripalis, of three stakes < L tri-, tri- + palus, a stake: see pale
intransitive verb
- to work very hard; toil
- to have labor pains; suffer the pains of childbirth
Etymology: ME travaillen < OFr travaillier, to labor, toil < VL *tripaliare, to torment < *tripalium
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