Travail

Travail is a noun that refers to agonizing work. Our word of the day originates from the Latin word trepalium (tray POL ee oom) which was a name of a device used for torture. As this word evolved into travail, it soon came to refer to any kind of torture. Putting the play together required a great deal of patience on everyone’s part. There were many travails to endure before we found success.