From Middle English toll, tol, tolle, from Old English toll m or n and toln f (“toll, duty, custom”), from Proto-West Germanic *toll, *tolnu, from Proto-Germanic *tullaz, *tullō (“that which is counted or told, reckoning”), from Proto-Indo-European *del- (“calculation, fraud”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Tol (“toll”), Dutch tol (“toll”), German Zoll (“toll, duty, customs”), Danish told (“toll, duty, tariff”), Swedish tull (“toll, customs”), Icelandic tollur (“toll, customs”). More at tell, tale.
Alternate etymology derives Old English toll from Medieval Latin tolōneum, tolōnium, alteration (due to the Germanic forms above) of Latin telōneum, from Ancient Greek τελώνιον (telṓnion, “toll-house”), from τέλος (télos, “tax”).
Meanings
A fee paid for some liberty or privilege, particularly for the privilege of passing over a bridge or on a highway, or for that of vending goods in a fair, market, etc.
Meanwhile, the tolls dispute had gone to the courts, and the E.L.R. was completely successful when, in 1856, the House of Lords awarded it the sum of £30,000 against the L.Y.R. for tolls overcharged. 1957 October 14, M. D. Greville and G. O. Holt, “Railway Development in Manchester—2”, in Railway Magazine, page 726:
Loss or damage incurred through a disaster.
The war has taken its toll on the people.
A fee paid by the owner of materials or other goods for processing such goods, as under a tolling agreement.
toll ore refining; toll manufacturing
(broadly) A fee for using any kind of material processing service.
We can handle on a toll basis your needs for spray drying, repackaging, crushing and grinding, and dry blending.
(US) A tollbooth.
We will be replacing some manned tolls with high-speed device readers.
(UK, obsolete) A liberty to buy and sell within the bounds of a manor.
(England, obsolete, regional) A portion of grain taken by a miller as a compensation for grinding.
pl opłata drogowa (fee for using roads and bridges) · uk втра́ти (loss or damage) · ca pontatge (fee for using roads and bridges) · ja 有料 (fee for using roads and bridges) · de Maut (fee for using roads and bridges) · cmn 傷亡 /伤亡 (loss or damage) · sl mostnina (fee for using roads and bridges) · uk ми́то (fee for using roads and bridges) · fr domage (business) · es peaje (fee for using roads and bridges) · ja 通行料 (fee for using roads and bridges) · ar خَسَائِر (loss or damage) · uk опла́та (fee for using roads and bridges) · uk збір (fee for using roads and bridges) · es pontazgo (fee for using roads and bridges) · he אַגְרָה (fee for using roads and bridges) · cmn 過橋費 /过桥费 (fee for using roads and bridges) · be стра́ты (loss or damage) · mk жртви (loss or damage) · fi yksikköhinta (business) · hu útdíj (fee for using roads and bridges) · sh цеста̀рина (fee for using roads and bridges) · gl portádego (fee for using roads and bridges) · ko 손실 (loss or damage) · ka დანაკარგი (loss or damage) · be даро́жны збор (fee for using roads and bridges) · es portazgo (fee for using roads and bridges) · ka მსხვერპლი (loss or damage) · sh путарина (fee for using roads and bridges) · hi क्षतिपूर्ति (loss or damage) · nb bompenger (fee for using roads and bridges) · sh putarina (fee for using roads and bridges) · fi vero (loss or damage) · fi maksu (fee for using roads and bridges) · pt perda (loss or damage) · nl tol (fee for using roads and bridges) · ar رَسْم (fee for using roads and bridges) · nl tol (loss or damage) · sk mýto (fee for using roads and bridges) · uk же́ртви (loss or damage) · el διόδια (fee for using roads and bridges) · ro peaj (fee for using roads and bridges) · uk доро́жній збір (fee for using roads and bridges) · bg пъ́тна та́кса (fee for using roads and bridges) · cmn 通行費 /通行费 (fee for using roads and bridges) · vi (lệ) phí cầu đường (fee for using roads and bridges) · sv vägavgift (fee for using roads and bridges) · af tol (fee for using roads and bridges) · cmn 損失 /损失 (loss or damage) · fi tulli (fee for using roads and bridges) · crh bedel (fee for using roads and bridges) · pt passagem (fee for using roads and bridges) · sk mýtne (fee for using roads and bridges) · ca portatge (fee for using roads and bridges) · cmn 過路費 /过路费 (fee for using roads and bridges) · mk мостарина (fee for using roads and bridges) · sv broavgift (fee for using roads and bridges) · eu zubisari (fee for using roads and bridges) · fr perte (loss or damage) · fr péage (fee for using roads and bridges) · ang toll (fee for using roads and bridges) · ru же́ртвы (loss or damage) · sv vägtull (fee for using roads and bridges) · es montazgo (fee for using roads and bridges) · pt portagem (fee for using roads and bridges) · gl pedaxe (fee for using roads and bridges) · gl peaxe (fee for using roads and bridges) · ota باج (fee for using roads and bridges) · gl portaxe (fee for using roads and bridges) · hi पथकर (fee for using roads and bridges) · sh cestàrina (fee for using roads and bridges) · it pedaggio (fee for using roads and bridges) · la portōrium (fee for using roads and bridges) · it dazio (fee for using roads and bridges) · ru по́шлина (fee for using roads and bridges) · ja 損失 (loss or damage) · bg за́губи (loss or damage) · ru пла́та (fee for using roads and bridges) · ru поте́ри (loss or damage) · he אַגְרָה (business) · ca peatge (fee for using roads and bridges) · ja 通行料金 (fee for using roads and bridges) · de Abgabe (fee for using roads and bridges) · da bompenge (fee for using roads and bridges) · ru сбор (fee for using roads and bridges) · ast pealgu (fee for using roads and bridges) · ka ბაჟი (fee for using roads and bridges) · de Verluste (loss or damage) · nn bompengar (fee for using roads and bridges) · be по́шліна (fee for using roads and bridges) · be мы́та (fee for using roads and bridges) · nds-de Toll (fee for using roads and bridges) · pl myto (fee for using roads and bridges) · ko 통행료 (fee for using roads and bridges) · es pontaje (fee for using roads and bridges) · pt pedágio (fee for using roads and bridges) · bg же́ртви (loss or damage) · eu bidesari (fee for using roads and bridges) · hu áldozat (loss or damage) · cs mýtné (fee for using roads and bridges) · sl cestnina (fee for using roads and bridges) · ka გადასახადი (fee for using roads and bridges) · hu vám (fee for using roads and bridges) · grc τέλεσμα (fee for using roads and bridges) · cs mýto (fee for using roads and bridges) · id tol (fee for using roads and bridges) · be ахвя́ры (loss or damage) · mk патарина (fee for using roads and bridges)
From Middle English toll, tol, tolle, from Old English toll m or n and toln f (“toll, duty, custom”), from Proto-West Germanic *toll, *tolnu, from Proto-Germanic *tullaz, *tullō (“that which is counted or told, reckoning”), from Proto-Indo-European *del- (“calculation, fraud”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Tol (“toll”), Dutch tol (“toll”), German Zoll (“toll, duty, customs”), Danish told (“toll, duty, tariff”), Swedish tull (“toll, customs”), Icelandic tollur (“toll, customs”). More at tell, tale.
Alternate etymology derives Old English toll from Medieval Latin tolōneum, tolōnium, alteration (due to the Germanic forms above) of Latin telōneum, from Ancient Greek τελώνιον (telṓnion, “toll-house”), from τέλος (télos, “tax”).
Meanings
(transitive) To impose a fee for the use of.
Once more it is proposed to toll the East River bridges.
(ambitransitive) To levy a toll on (someone or something).
No Italian priest
Shall tithe or toll in our dominions. c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:
(transitive) To take as a toll.
To pay a toll or tallage.
I will buy me a sonne in Law in a faire, and toule for this. Ile none of him. c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
hu díjat számít fel (to impose a fee) · hu megvámol (to levy a toll) · fr taxer (to impose a fee) · hu vámol (to levy a toll) · bg взимам такса (to impose a fee) · hu díjat szed (to impose a fee) · fi määrätä maksu (to levy a toll) · bg налагам мито (to levy a toll) · bg взимам жертви (to take as a toll) · fi rahastaa (to take as a toll) · fi tehdä maksulliseksi (to impose a fee)
Probably the same as Etymology 3. Possibly related to or influenced by toil
Meanings
The act or sound of ringing a bell, especially slowly, as with a church or cemetery bell.
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
tolls
Number=Plur
lexicographic
Translations (11)
bg камбанен звън (act or sound of tolling) · fr sonnerie (act or sound of tolling) · hu kongás (act or sound of tolling) · sv kimning (act or sound of tolling) · ru бла́говест (act or sound of tolling) · fi soittaminen (act or sound of tolling) · hu harangzúgás (act or sound of tolling) · hu kongatás (act or sound of tolling) · fi soitto (act or sound of tolling) · ru звон (act or sound of tolling) · hu harangszó (act or sound of tolling)
Probably the same as Etymology 3. Possibly related to or influenced by toil
Meanings
(ergative) To ring (a bell) slowly and repeatedly.
From the belfries far and near the funereal deathbell tolled unceasingly while all around the gloomy precincts rolled the ominous warning of a hundred muffled drums punctuated by the hollow booming of pieces of ordnance. 1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[[Episode 12: The Cyclops]]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC:
Ask not for whom the bell tolls.
Martin tolled the great bell every day.
(transitive) To summon by ringing a bell.
When hollow murmurs of their evening bells
Dismiss the sleepy swains, and toll them to their cells. 1697, Virgil, “The Fourth Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
The ringer tolled the workers back from the fields for vespers.
(transitive) To announce by ringing a bell.
Slow tolls the village-clock the drowſy hour;
The partridge burſts away on whirring wings;
Deep mourns the turtle in ſequeſter'd bower,
And ſhrill lark carols clear from her aereal tour. 1771, James Beattie, The Minstrel; or, The Progress of Genius. A Poem. Book the First, London: […] E[dward] & C[harles] Dilly, […]; Edinburgh: A[lexander] Kincaid and W[illiam] Creech; and J[ohn] Bell, […], →OCLC, stanza XLI, page 21:
The bells tolled the King’s death.
(figuratively) To make a sound as if made by a bell.
The chaplain's first mention of the name Yossarian! had tolled deep in his memory like a portentous gong. 1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “Chief White Halfoat”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 213:
ka რეკვა (to summon by ringing a bell) · fi soittaa (to make the noise of a bell) · fi soida (to make the noise of a bell) · ru позвони́ть (to make the noise of a bell) · fi soittaa (to announce by tolling) · io tinklar (to summon by ringing a bell) · izh pumissa (to make the noise of a bell) · ru благовести́ть (to announce by tolling) · ru бла́говестить (to announce by tolling) · hu szól (to make the noise of a bell) · cmn 敲 (to make the noise of a bell) · fi soittaa (to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly) · mi pere (to make the noise of a bell) · mi pere (to summon by ringing a bell) · mi pere (to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly) · es tocar (to make the noise of a bell) · ru звони́ть (to summon by ringing a bell) · fr sonner (to make the noise of a bell) · pt badalar (to make the noise of a bell) · de läuten (to make the noise of a bell) · it suonare (to make the noise of a bell) · ka რეკვა (to make the noise of a bell) · hu zúg (to make the noise of a bell) · ru звони́ть (to make the noise of a bell) · sv klämta (to make the noise of a bell) · bg бия (to make the noise of a bell) · gl badalar (to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly) · mk ѕво́ни (to make the noise of a bell) · cs zvonit (to make the noise of a bell) · fr sonner le glas (to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly) · ru позвони́ть (to summon by ringing a bell) · nl luiden (to make the noise of a bell) · hu kong (to make the noise of a bell) · hu kongat (to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly) · fi soittaa (to summon by ringing a bell) · sv kimma (to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly) · io tinklar (to make the noise of a bell) · kea rapika (to make the noise of a bell) · hu megkongat (to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly) · cmn 鳴 /鸣 (to make the noise of a bell) · pt anunciar (to make the noise of a bell)
From Middle English tolen, tollen, variation of tullen, tillen (“to draw, allure, entice”), from Old English *tyllan, *tillan (“to pull, draw, attract”) (found in compounds fortyllan (“to seduce, lead astray, draw away from the mark, deceive”) and betyllan, betillan (“to lure, decoy”)), related to Old Frisian tilla (“to lift, raise”), Dutch tillen (“to lift, raise, weigh, buy”), Low German tillen (“to lift, remove”), Swedish dialectal tille (“to take up, appropriate”).
Meanings
(obsolete, transitive) To draw; pull; tug; drag.
(transitive) To tear in pieces.
(transitive) To draw; entice; invite; allure.
Hou many virgins shal she tolle and drawe to þe Lord - "Life of Our Lady"
(transitive) To lure with bait; tole (especially, fish and animals).