tote
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to carry, as on one's back or in one's arms.
to tote a bundle.
-
to carry on one's person.
to tote a gun.
-
to transport or convey, as on a vehicle or boat.
noun
-
the act or course of toting.
-
something that is toted.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
-
the act of or an instance of toting
-
something toted
noun
Other Word Forms
- totable adjective
- toteable adjective
- toter noun
Etymology
Origin of tote1
An Americanism dating back to 1670–80; origin uncertain
Origin of tote2
First recorded in 1885–90; probably verb use of tote, shortening of total
Origin of tote3
First recorded in 1890–95; by shortening
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bolding’s joyful daisies decorated the Sidecca tote bag given to customers at November’s reopening, just before December’s intense rainstorms.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
That certainly seems to be true in the Hamptons, where the newly renovated Sagaponack General Store had visitors lining up this summer for $13 breakfast sandwiches and $65 tote bags.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
The black leather tote bag she is often seen carrying has sold out and the pink pen she used at her first press conference has gone viral.
From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026
Elsewhere in the warehouse, an authenticator uses a device smaller than a stapler to scan a Louis Vuitton tote to help determine whether the leather, stitching and branding are authentic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
A bald man with olive-toned skin carried a tote bag full of books past him.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
