Yes. A dictionary tells you the part of speech (e.g. adjective) of each word before giving the definition.
Painstaking is an adjective.
No. Painstaking is the adjective form. The adverb is painstakingly.
Yes, it is. It means in a detailed, complete, or painstaking way.
The word meticulous is an adjective (painstaking, detailed) not a noun, so it has no plural.
It is painstaking work to put a thread through a needle.
After a painstaking search of the house, we found our missing car keys.
Yes, in painstaking, the ending would be taking.
The painting was obviously completed with painstaking care.
The violinist hit each beautiful note with painstaking accuracy.
I've written out this example with painstaking precision.
You could use it like this, "The assignment was painstaking work." "Finishing off the kitchen cabinets was painstaking!" Use is as a synonym for the word 'hard' or 'exhausting'.
If we are painstaking in this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are halfway through.