See Also: travail(medicine)
travail(1)(dictionary)
travail(3)(dictionary)
travail(4)(dictionary)
travail(dictionary)
TRAVAIL(law)

travail(4) (iou)



travail verb. Also travel. See also TRAVEL verb. ME.
[Old & mod. French travailler from Proto-Romance verb from medieval Latin trepalium instrument of torture, prob. from Latin tres three + palus stake.]
I.
verb trans. Torment, distress, afflict; weary, tire. Now rare or obsolete. ME.
verb intrans. & refl. Exert or apply oneself, work hard, toil. (Foll. by about, for, in, to do.) arch. ME.
b. verb trans. Put to work; employ. LME-M17.
c. verb intrans. Gain knowledge in a subject through study. Chiefly as travailed ppl adjective. M16-M18.
verb intrans. Suffer the pains of childbirth; be in labour. ME.
II. See TRAVEL verb.