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 calledtollage (formerly) the right to levy a toll
4. Also calledtoll 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

Keefe was inspired to write the book in 2013, after reading an obituary for Dolours Price, who in her later years spoke about the psychological toll of her I.R.A. activities and accused Adams of ordering attacks she carried out.

From Los Angeles Times

And yet, over 10,000 Russians keep dying from drug overdoses each year, a toll which has more than doubled since 2019.

From Salon

It’s clear the job is taking its toll.

From BBC

Tuesday's attack is not an outlier, though it is shocking for its death toll.

From BBC

Health professionals and politicians in the area have told the BBC they fear pollution and the lack of clean water are taking a toll on human health.

From BBC

Related Words

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