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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.
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As a Numidian lion, when first caught,
Endures the toil that holds him. Denham.
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Then toils for beasts, and lime for birds, were found. Dryden.
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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.
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Toil, v. t.
1. To weary; to overlabor. [Obs.] “Toiled with works of war.” Shak.
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2. To labor; to work; -- often with out. [R.]
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Places well toiled and husbanded. Holland.
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[I] toiled out my uncouth passage. Milton.
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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.
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My task of servile toil. Milton.
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After such bloody toil, we bid good night. Shak.
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☞ Toil is used in the formation of compounds which are generally of obvious signification; as, toil-strung, toil-wasted, toil-worn, and the like.
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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.
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You do not know the heavy grievances,
The toils, the labors, weary drudgeries,
Which they impose. Southern.
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How often have I blessed the coming day,
When toil remitting lent its turn to play. Goldsmith.
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