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.
the extent of loss, damage, suffering, etc., resulting from some action or calamity: The toll was 300 persons dead or missing.
a tax, duty, or tribute, as for services or use of facilities.
a payment made for a long-distance telephone call.
(formerly, in England) the right to take such payment.
a compensation for services, as for transportation or transmission.
grain retained by a miller in payment for grinding.
verb (used with object)
to collect (something) as toll.
to impose a tax or toll on (a person).
verb (used without object)
to collect toll; levy toll.
Origin of toll
1
before 1000; (noun) Middle English,Old Englishtoll (cognate with Dutchtol,GermanZoll,Old Norsetollr), assimilated variant of Old Englishtoln < Late Latintolōnēum, for telōnēum < Greektelōneîon tollhouse, akin to telṓnēs tax collector, télos tax; (v.) Middle Englishtollen, derivative of the noun
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.
to sound or strike (a knell, the hour, etc.) by such strokes: In the distance Big Ben tolled five.
to announce by this means; ring a knell for (a dying or dead person).
to summon or dismiss by tolling.
to lure or decoy (game) by arousing curiosity.
to allure; entice: He tolls us on with fine promises.
verb (used without object)
to sound with single strokes slowly and regularly repeated, as a bell.
noun
the act of tolling a bell.
one of the strokes made in tolling a bell.
the sound made.
Origin of toll
2
1175–1225;Middle Englishtollen to entice, lure, pull, hence probably to make (a bell) ring by pulling a rope; akin to Old English-tyllan, in fortyllan to attract, allure
toll
3
[tohl]
verb (used with object)Law.
to suspend or interrupt (as a statute of limitations).
Origin of toll
3
1425–75;late Middle Englishtollen to remove, legally annul < Anglo-Frenchtolre, tol(l)er < Latintollere to remove, take away
C15: perhaps related to Old English -tyllan, as in fortyllan to attract
toll
2
noun
an amount of money levied, esp for the use of certain roads, bridges, etc, to cover the cost of maintenance
(as modifier)toll road; toll bridge
loss or damage incurred through an accident, disaster, etcthe war took its toll of the inhabitants
Also called: tollage(formerly) the right to levy a toll
Also called: toll chargeNZa charge for a telephone call beyond a free-dialling area
Word Origin for toll
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
"tax, fee," Old English toll, variant of toln, cognate with Old Norse tollr, Old Frisian tolen, Old High German zol, German Zoll, representing an early Germanic borrowing from Late Latin tolonium "custom house," from Latin telonium "tollhouse," from Greek teloneion "tollhouse," from telones "tax-collector," from telos "tax" (see tele-; for sense, cf. finance). Originally in a general sense of "payment exacted by an authority;" meaning "charge for right of passage along a road" is from late 15c.
toll
v.
"to sound with single strokes," mid-15c., probably a special use of tollen "to draw, lure," early 13c. variant of Old English -tyllan in betyllan "to lure, decoy," and fortyllan "draw away, seduce," of obscure origin. The notion is perhaps of "luring" people to church with the sound of the bells, or of "drawing" on the bell rope. Related: Tolled; tolling.
