Travail (noun)

1. Hard work; labor.
2. Physical or mental suffering, esp. that associated with childbirth.

Origin:

Middle english: from old french travailler "to work hard", from latin tripaliare "to torment", from tri- "three" + palus "stake" (from the use of the stake for torture).

Examples:

1. It was a long and difficult travail to finish the project.
2. He was in the travail of childbirth for many hours.
3. The research was a travail of many years.
4. The travail of the day left her exhausted.
5. The travail of bringing up a child is great.