Definition of "travail"

But as every thing of price, so this doth require travail.

1597, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, Book V, §21

Travell and pleasure, most unlike in nature, are notwithstanding followed together by a kind of I wot not what natural conjunction […].

1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 20, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […]

He had thought of making a destiny for himself, through laborious and untiring travail.

1936, Djuna Barnes, Nightwood, Faber & Faber, published 2007, page 38

And the British mandarin Left, like their contemporaries in the Foreign Office, had little time for the travails of the small countries between Germany and Russia, whom they had always regarded as something of a nuisance.

2005, Tony Judt, “Culture Wars”, in Postwar: A history of Europe since 1945, London: Vintage Books, published 2010

In the most egregious examples, these stories harness a particular woman’s travails without acknowledging the systems and forces that contributed to her treatment and how these systems persist in our own time.

2022 March 31, Alexis Soloski, “Why the Sudden Urge to Reconsider Famous Women?”, in The New York Times‎

The lady shrieks and, well-a-near,Does fall in travail with her fear.

c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon, […], published 1609, [Act III, scene chorus]

And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first,

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Genesis 38:27–28

[A]ll slothful persons, which will not travail for their livings, do the will of the devil.

1552, Hugh Latimer, Fourth Sermon on the Lord's Prayer, Preached before Lady Katherine, Duchess of Suffolk

The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Job 15:20

Other poet travailing in this plain high-way of paſtoral know I none.

1714, J[ohn] Gay, “The Proeme to the Courteous Reader”, in The Shepherd’s Week. In Six Pastorals, London: […] R. Burleigh […]

A woman when she traveyleth hath sorowe, be cause her houre is come: but as sone as she is delivered off her chylde she remembreth no moare her anguysshe, for ioye that a man is borne in to the worlde.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], John ]

And they iourneyed from Bethel: and there was but a litle way to come to Ephrath; and Rachel traueiled, and she had hard labour.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Genesis 35:16