tollbooth

American  

[tohl-booth, -booth] / ˈtoʊlˌbuθ, -ˌbuð /

noun

plural

tollbooths

1. a booth, as at a bridge or the entrance to a toll road, where a toll is collected.

2. Chiefly Scot. tolbooth.

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tollbooth British  

/ ˈtəʊlˌbuːθ, ˈtɒl-, -ˌbuːð /

noun

1. a booth or kiosk at which a toll is collected

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Etymology

Origin of tollbooth

First recorded in 1300–50, tollbooth is from the Middle English word tolbothe. See toll ¹, booth

Example Sentences

It has come to prominence recently and been dubbed "Tehran's tollbooth" -- a stopping-off point for the handful of vessels that Iran has approved to exit or enter the Gulf.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Iran maintained what Lloyd’s List Intelligence called a tollbooth regime over the Strait of Hormuz as diplomatic efforts didn’t generate any tangible results.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

So that when people were driving to D.C., when they stopped at a tollbooth, they were given a piece of paper, told where to go, where to park, what to do.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2023

If that sounds oddly fastidious, Reed’s archivists, Jason Stern and Don Fleming, say he retained an enormous amount of documentation across his entire career, from stage costumes to tollbooth receipts.

From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2022

White birds scattered as they approached another gate, this one resembling a highway tollbooth.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers