Meaning & Definition of word "Travail"
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Travail
/trəˈvāl/
noun:
- 1. Strenuous or painful effort; toil.
- Example: The farmers spent hours in travail, plowing the fields under the scorching sun.
- 2. The labor of childbirth.
- Example: After hours of travail, she finally gave birth to a healthy baby.
verb:
- 1. To work extremely hard or to toil.
- Example: He had to travail through the night to complete the project on time.
- 2. To suffer from pain or anguish.
- Example: She could see him travailing with grief after his loss.
Etymology
From Old French 'travaillier', meaning 'to toil, work'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
travail of love:
Work done for the sake of love rather than for reward.
in travail:
In the process of giving birth; in labor.
Related Words
travailler:
To work (French).
travailleur:
Worker (French).
Slang Meanings of travail
Meaning: To struggle hard with something.
Example Sentence: I've been travailing over this project for weeks.
Meaning: To work oneself to exhaustion.
Example Sentence: After travailing all day, I just want to crash.