Middle English, from Anglo-French, from travailler to torment, labor, journey, from Vulgar Latin *trepaliare to torture, from Late Latin trepalium instrument of torture, from Latin tripalis having three stakes, from tri- + palus stake
noun
work especially of a painful or laborious nature : toil
a physical or mental exertion or piece of work : task, effort
agony, torment
worklabortravailtoildrudgerygrind mean activity involving effort or exertion. work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force. labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.