n. use of physical or mental energy; hard work; "he got an A for effort"; "they managed only with great exertion"

n. concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of labor to the birth of a child; "she was in labor for six hours"

v. work hard; "She was digging away at her math homework"; "Lexicographers drudge all day long"

n. activity directed toward making or doing something; "she checked several points needing further work"

n. earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try"

n. any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity"

n. a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness); "he had doubts about the whole enterprise"

n. any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted; "he prepared for great undertakings"

n. a school task requiring considerable effort

n. any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome

n. a commercial undertaking that risks a loss but promises a profit

n. a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; "he supported populist campaigns"; "they worked in the cause of world peace"; "the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant"; "the movement to end slavery"; "contributed to the war effort"

n. productive work (especially physical work done for wages); "his labor did not require a great deal of skill"

n. hard monotonous routine work

n. the act of delivering a child

v. attempt by employing effort; "we endeavor to make our customers happy"

v. strive and make an effort to reach a goal; "She tugged for years to make a decent living"; "We have to push a little to make the deadline!"; "She is driving away at her doctoral thesis"

v. keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last; "preserve the peace in the family"; "continue the family tradition"; "Carry on the old traditions"

v. put up with something or somebody unpleasant; "I cannot bear his constant criticism"; "The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks"; "he learned to tolerate the heat"; "She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage"

v. continue to exist; "These stories die hard"; "The legend of Elvis endures"

v. be persistent, refuse to stop; "he persisted to call me every night"; "The child persisted and kept asking questions"

v. insist on having one's opinions and rights recognized; "Women should assert themselves more!"

v. be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge; "I must insist!"

v. keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"; "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady"; "The students keep me on my toes"

v. state categorically

v. to exert much effort or energy; "straining our ears to hear"

v. have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected; "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"; "How does your idea work in practice?"; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"; "The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water"