Lucubration

lucubration
    n 1: a solemn literary work that is the product of laborious
         cogitation
    2: laborious cogitation
    

Lucubration \Lu`cu*bra"tion\, n. [l. lucubratio;cf. F.
   lucubration.]
   1. The act of lucubrating, or studying by candlelight;
      nocturnal study; meditation.
      [1913 Webster]

            After long lucubration I have hit upon such an
            expedient.                            --Goldsmith.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. That which is composed by night; that which is produced by
      meditation in retirement; hence (loosely) any literary
      composition.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thy lucubrations have been perused by several of our
            friends.                              --Tatler.
      [1913 Webster]
    

124 Moby Thesaurus words for "lucubration":
      advisement, application, article, autograph, boning, brainchild,
      brainwork, brooding, causerie, composition, computer printout,
      conning, consideration, contemplation, copy, counsel, cram,
      cramming, deliberation, descant, discourse, discussion,
      disquisition, dissertation, document, draft, drill, edited version,
      engrossment, essay, etude, examination, excursus, exercise,
      exposition, extensive study, fair copy, feature, fiction,
      final draft, finished version, first approach, first draft, flimsy,
      grind, grinding, headwork, holograph, homily, inspection,
      introductory study, letter, literae scriptae, literary artefact,
      literary production, literature, manuscript, matter, meditation,
      memoir, mental labor, monograph, morceau, musing, opus, original,
      outline, pandect, paper, paragraph, parchment, penscript, perusal,
      piece, piece of writing, play, poem, pondering, practice,
      preliminary study, printed matter, printout, production,
      prolegomenon, reading, reading matter, recension, reflection,
      research paper, restudy, restudying, review, revolving, rumination,
      screed, scrip, script, scrive, scroll, second draft, sketch,
      special article, speculation, study, studying, subject, survey,
      swotting, term paper, the written word, theme, thesis, tract,
      tractate, transcript, transcription, treatise, treatment,
      typescript, version, weighing, wide reading, work, writing