Labor

I think it could be either:

Which length description are you looking for?:

travail

'labor' is the definition.
(I know that labor can be written as travail)

This is the entire clue.

(Other definitions for travail that I've seen before include "Old word for pangs of childbirth" , "Exertion, elbow grease" , "painful exercise" , "Painful labour" , "Hard labour" .)

I've seen this clue in The New York Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.