I. ˈtȯi(-ə)l noun
Etymology: Middle English toile, from Anglo-French toyl, from toiller
Date: 14th century
1. archaic
a. : struggle , battle
b. : laborious effort
2. : long strenuous fatiguing labor
Synonyms: see work
• toil·ful -fəl adjective
• toil·ful·ly -fə-lē adverb
II. verb
Etymology: Middle English, to argue, struggle, from Anglo-French toiller to make dirty, fight, wrangle, from Latin tudiculare to crush, grind, from tudicula machine for crushing olives, diminutive of tudes hammer; akin to Latin tundere to beat — more at contusion
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
1. : to work hard and long
2. : to proceed with laborious effort : plod
transitive verb
1. archaic : overwork
2. archaic : to get or accomplish with great effort
• toil·er ˈtȯi-lər noun
III. noun
Etymology: Middle French toile cloth, net, from Old French teile, Latin tela cloth on a loom — more at subtle
Date: circa 1529
1. : a net to trap game
2. : something by which one is held fast or inextricably involved : snare , trap — usually used in plural
caught in the toil s of the law