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Labour, vb. 1) intr. a) to work hard, to toil, to make painful efforts: “our brains --ing for invention,” Sonn. 59, 3. “after you have --ed so hard,” H4B II, 2, 32. “I have --ed with all my wits,” H5 V, 2, 24. “all kind of natures that l. on the bosom of this sphere,” Tim. I, 1, 66. “--ed after him to the mountain's top,” I, 1, 86; cf. “you do climb up it now: look, how we l.” Lr. IV, 6, 2. Caes. V, 5, 42. Oth. II, 1, 189. Ant. II, 6, 14. --ed == fatigued, worn out: “whose --ed spirits crave harbourage,” John II, 232.
b) to endeavour, to take pains, to strive, to be intent: “the dire imagination she did follow this sound of hope doth l. to expel,” Ven. 976. “my sighs, like whirlwinds, l. hence to heave thee,” Lucr. 586. “in him the painter --ed with his skill to hide deceit,” Lucr. 586 “--ing in moe pleasures to bestow them,” Compl. 139. Meas. III, 1, 12. III, 2, 265. V, 396. Err. III, 2, 37. As I, 1, 146. V, 2, 62. All's II, 1, 121. IV, 4, 17. H6A II, 5, 80. H6B III, 1, 239. III, 2, 137. H8 V, 3, 33. Cor. II, 3, 235. Tim. III, 5, 26. Mcb. I, 3, 114 (he --ed in his country's wreck, == was intent on etc.). I, 4, 28. Hml. IV, 5, 211. V, 2, 34. Lr. III, 1, 16.
c) to work: “the --ing pioner,” Lucr. 1380. “l. in the quern,” Mids. II, 1, 36. “never --ed in their minds,” V, 73 (never did mental work). “to l. in his vocation,” H4A I, 2, 117. II, 1, 57. “l. for their own preferment,” H6B I, 1, 181. “the --ing spider,” III, 1, 339. “l. in thy vocation,” IV, 2, 17. --ing men, 19 (== workmen). “for your highness' good I ever --ed,” H8 III, 2, 191. “--ing for destiny,” Troil. IV, 5, 184. “a --ing day,” Caes. I, 1, 4. “there's no --ing in the winter,” Lr. II, 4, 69.
d) to suffer the pangs of childbirth: “when great things --ing perish in their birth,” LLL V, 2, 521. “in the birth of our own --ing breath,” Troil. IV, 4, 40. “what do you think the hour? --ing for nine,” Tim. III, 4, 8 (cf. Nine), “my Muse --s, and thus she is delivered,” Oth. II, 1, 128.
e) to suffer pain, to be in distress: “each passion --s so, that every present sorrow seemeth chief,” Ven. 969. “whom whilst I --ed of a love to see,” Err. I, 1, 131. “all descended to the --ing heart,” H6B III, 2, 163.
2) trans. to work, to strive to perform, to effect: “if your love can l. aught in sad invention,” Ado V, 1, 292. “to l. and effect one thing,” Shr. I, 1, 120. “--ed all I could to do him right,” R2 II, 3, 142. “he would l. my delivery,” R3 I, 4, 253. (Perhaps also Cor. II, 3, 235: we --ed no impediment between, == we strove to remove all impediments). “you are her --ed scholar,” Per. II, 3, 17 (a scholar formed by the hand of Art herself).
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