travail

Noun

  1. concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child; “she was in labor for six hours”
  2. use of physical or mental energy; hard work; “he got an A for effort”; “they managed only with great exertion”

Verb

  1. work hard; “She was digging away at her math homework”; “Lexicographers drudge all day long”