travail Definition

travail
noun

1. Painful or extremely hard work or labour.

Thesaurus: hardship, exertion, toil, tribulation, effort, labour, trial, slavery, grind, pain.
2. The pain of childbirth; labour.

verb, intr travailed, travailing

1. To work hard or with pain.
2. old use
To be in labour; to suffer the pains of childbirth.

Etymology: 13c: French, meaning ‘painful effort'.