Definitions for: Toil


[n] productive work (especially physical work done for wages); "his labor did not require a great deal of skill"
[v] work hard; "She was digging away at her math homework"; "Lexicographers drudge all day long"



Webster (1913) Definition: Toil, n. [F. toiles, pl., toils, nets, fr. toile cloth,
canvas, spider web, fr. L. tela any woven stuff, a web, fr.
texere to weave. See Text, and cf. Toilet.]
A net or snare; any thread, web, or string spread for taking
prey; -- usually in the plural.

As a Numidian lion, when first caught, Endures the toil
that holds him. --Denham.

Then toils for beasts, and lime for birds, were found.
--Dryden.


Toil, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Toiled; p. pr. & vb. n.
Toiling.] [OE. toilen to pull about, to toil; of uncertain
origin; cf. OD. teulen, tuylen, to labor, till, or OF.
tooillier, toailler, to wash, rub (cf. Towel); or perhaps
ultimately from the same root as E. tug.]
To exert strength with pain and fatigue of body or mind,
especially of the body, with efforts of some continuance or
duration; to labor; to work.


Toil, v. t.
1. To weary; to overlabor. [Obs.] ``Toiled with works of
war.'' --Shak.

2. To labor; to work; -- often with out. [R.]

Places well toiled and husbanded. --Holland.

[I] toiled out my uncouth passage. --Milton.


Toil, n. [OE. toil turmoil, struggle; cf. OD. tuyl labor,
work. See Toil, v.]
Labor with pain and fatigue; labor that oppresses the body or
mind, esp. the body.

My task of servile toil. --Milton.

After such bloody toil, we bid good night. --Shak.

Note: Toil is used in the formation of compounds which are
generally of obvious signification; as, toil-strung,
toil-wasted, toil-worn, and the like.

Syn: Labor; drudgery; work; exertion; occupation; employment;
task; travail.

Usage: Toil, Labor, Drudgery. Labor implies strenuous
exertion, but not necessary such as overtasks the
faculties; toil denotes a severity of labor which is
painful and exhausting; drudgery implies mean and
degrading work, or, at least, work which wearies or
disgusts from its minuteness or dull uniformity.

You do not know the heavy grievances, The toils,
the labors, weary drudgeries, Which they impose.
--Southern.

How often have I blessed the coming day, When
toil remitting lent its turn to play.
--Goldsmith.

Synonyms: dig, drudge, fag, grind, labor, labor, labour, labour, moil, travail

See Also: corvee, do work, donkeywork, drudgery, effort, elbow grease, exertion, grind, hackwork, haymaking, hunt, hunting, manual labor, manual labour, overwork, overworking, plodding, roping, slavery, sweat, travail, work, work

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