TOIL (4)

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. My task of servile toil. Milton. After such bloody toil, we bid good night. Shak. ☞ Toil is used in the formation of compounds which are generally of obvious signification; as, toil-strung, toil-wasted, toil-worn, and the like. 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. 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.