Toil — Defs

01 n. A net or snare; any thread, web, or string spread for taking prey; -- usually in the plural.

1.
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.

02 v. i. 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.

imp. & p. p. Toiled; p. pr. & vb. n. Toiling

1.
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.

03 v. t. To weary; to overlabor.

1.
To weary; to overlabor.[Obs.]
2.
To labor; to work; -- often with out.[R.]
“Places well toiled and husbanded.” — Holland.

“[I] toiled out my uncouth passage.” — Milton.

04 n. Labor with pain and fatigue; labor that oppresses the body or mind, esp. the body.

1.
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.

“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.

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

-- 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.