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.
the act or course of toting.
something that is toted.
the act of or an instance of toting
something toted
An Americanism dating back to 1670–80; origin uncertain
First recorded in 1885–90; probably verb use of tote, shortening of total
First recorded in 1890–95; by shortening
A tote is a bag or basket used to carry things. Toting also refers to lugging things around. If you ever go to a conference, there's a good chance you might be given a tote, which is also known as a tote bag. Totes help people carry around conference materials, and they can be used to carry all sorts of things, including clothes for a trip or groceries at the store. Also, carrying things around is called toting. Usually, toting refers to carrying things around with difficulty. A giant box is hard to tote around.
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Visitors to the GoMA can also part with £15 to get their hands on a coned Duke of Wellington tote bag or £20 for a T-shirt.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
British comic artist Gemma Correll, whose work has appeared everywhere from The New Yorker to tote bags bearing the legend “Pugs Not Drugs,” had a very rough 2018.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
As the company spread across the U.S., it maintained rules for decades: Kids were allowed only with a chaperone age 25 or older, and adults could tote along just three total kids.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
The tote bags were brought in very early on by Brooke Kennedy, who was the producing director and one of the main directors on “The Good Wife.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Igentle set Hope Too-mah-ee-nee in the empty tote sack and tied her ’round my back, same as the women in the fields.
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
Bean Boat and Tote, gives it enough distance from overtly corporate American brands that international carriers can embrace it without feeling complicit, Davies said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026
Celebrate all things fashion as well as New York designer Marc Jacobs’ 40th anniversary with this cute Tote Bag Necklace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2024
Cuyana Classic Easy Tote $248 Lightweight and seriously soft, this classic leather tote bag combines luxury and practicality.
From The Verge ● Aug. 28, 2022
Saltchuk, which employs about 5,000, also owns Alaska logistics service Tote Maritime and other operations.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 30, 2021
Tote a little corn bread for ’em too.
From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper
Customers toted their purchases home in “Big Brown Bags.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
Dancing to drums in downtown Yangon, the crowd of nationalist activists and saffron-robed monks twirled miniature national flags and toted banners denying accusations of ethnic cleansing being levelled at The Hague.
From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026
He toted Walter around the whole day, and at the end of their visit, I told him he could take Walter home if he wanted to.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2025
Queen Elizabeth II, who was in residence, was said to have looked at the guns being toted by these unexpected arrivals.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2025
Shady handed me two bags of flour to carry while he toted two bags of coffee.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
And at the end of it all, Colbert flew off in Santa’s sleigh toting his prized Captain America shield, with unicorn Abraham Lincoln and “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek, the man with all the answers.
From Salon ● May 21, 2026
So if you’re toting around two kids and want a fun-filled day that costs less than $200, but you hate walking around museums, then say exactly that.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
When she comes on to play, toting her digital keyboard, it’s always as herself, or mostly herself, with her name spelled out across the screen: Jane Wickline.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
Jerry Schulz wouldn’t join any protest—he’s no gnomie—but that didn’t stop him from toting a pair of gnomes around the course on Wednesday as he left the par-3 tournament.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
She darted to the nearest staircase, passing more wizened librarians toting armfuls of books, automats leading sullen trainees with detention slips, and people browsing.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
