toll

¹

[tohl]

noun

1. a payment or fee exacted by the state, the local authorities, etc., for some right or privilege, as for passage along a road or over a bridge.

2. the extent of loss, damage, suffering, etc., resulting from some action or calamity.

   The toll was 300 persons dead or missing.

3. a tax, duty, or tribute, as for services or use of facilities.

   Synonyms: exaction, impost, levy, tariff

4. a payment made for a long-distance telephone call.

5. (formerly, in England) the right to take such payment.

6. a compensation for services, as for transportation or transmission.

7. grain retained by a miller in payment for grinding.

verb (used with object)

1. to collect (something) as toll.

2. to impose a tax or toll on (a person).

verb (used without object)

1. to collect toll; levy toll.

toll

²

[tohl]

verb (used with object)

1. to cause (a large bell) to sound with single strokes slowly and regularly repeated, as for summoning a congregation to church, or especially for announcing a death.

2. to sound or strike (a knell, the hour, etc.) by such strokes.

   In the distance Big Ben tolled five.

3. to announce by this means; ring a knell for (a dying or dead person).

4. to summon or dismiss by tolling.

5. to lure or decoy (game) by arousing curiosity.

6. to allure; entice.

   He tolls us on with fine promises.

verb (used without object)

1. to sound with single strokes slowly and regularly repeated, as a bell.

noun

1. the act of tolling a bell.

2. one of the strokes made in tolling a bell.

3. the sound made.

toll

³

[tohl]

verb (used with object)

Law.

1. to suspend or interrupt, as a statute of limitations.

toll

¹

/ təʊl, tɒl /

noun

1. 1. an amount of money levied, esp for the use of certain roads, bridges, etc, to cover the cost of maintenance

   2. ( as modifier )

      toll road

      toll bridge

2. loss or damage incurred through an accident, disaster, etc

   the war took its toll of the inhabitants

3. Also called: tollage. (formerly) the right to levy a toll

4. Also called: toll charge. a charge for a telephone call beyond a free-dialling area

toll

²

/ təʊl /

verb

1. to ring or cause to ring slowly and recurrently

2. (tr) to summon, warn, or announce by tolling

3. to decoy (game, esp ducks)

noun

1. the act or sound of tolling

Word History and Origins

Origin of toll¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English tol(le), Old English noun toll “tax, levy, custom, toll” (cognate with Dutch tol, German Zoll, Old Norse tollr ), assimilated variant of Middle English toln(e), Old English toln, from Late Latin tolōnēum, telonium, teloneum for Latin telōnēum “customs post,” from Greek telōneîon “tollhouse,” derivative of télos “tax”; the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of toll²

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English tollen, tol(le) “to entice, lure, pull,” hence probably “to make (a bell) ring by pulling a rope”; akin to Old English tyllan “to draw, attract,” found only in the compound verb fortyllan “to draw off, seduce”

Origin of toll³

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English tollen “to remove, legally annul,” from Anglo-French to(u)ller, from Latin tollere “to lift up, take away, remove”

Word History and Origins

Origin of toll¹

Old English toln; related to Old Frisian tolene, Old High German zol toll, from Late Latin telōnium customs house, from Greek telónion, ultimately from telos tax

Origin of toll²

C15: perhaps related to Old English -tyllan, as in fortyllan to attract

Idioms and Phrases

see take its toll.

Example Sentences

In her statement explaining her vote, she expressed concern about the economic toll government closure would have on Nevada.

From BBC

However, the count is usually slow as the numbers are subject to rigorous checks - and so it is possible the death toll could quickly rise further.

From BBC

Three people have been killed and 99 others hospitalised, some of them with critical injuries, officials said Tuesday, adding that the death toll may rise.

From BBC

It left the same number of dead in the Philippines, where officials said the overall toll from Bualoi, Ragasa and another tropical storm in September had risen to 26.

From BBC

“This facility is taking a toll on people’s mental health,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cost 
• expense 
• levy 
• payment 
• price 
• rate 
• tariff 
• tax