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Meaning of TOIL

Pronunciation:  toyl

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

Toil
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Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
  1. \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.
    
  2. \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.
    
  3. \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.
    
  4. \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.
    
 

 

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