I. ˈtōl noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, from Vulgar Latin * tolonium, alteration of Late Latin telonium customhouse, from Greek tolōnion, from telōnēs collector of tolls, from telos tax, toll; perhaps akin to Greek tlēnai to bear
Date: before 12th century
1. : a tax or fee paid for some liberty or privilege (as of passing over a highway or bridge)
2. : compensation for services rendered: as
a. : a charge for transportation
b. : a charge for a long-distance telephone call
3. : a grievous or ruinous price
inflation has taken its toll
especially : cost in life or health
the death toll from the hurricane
II. verb
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
: to take or levy toll
transitive verb
1.
a. : to exact part of as a toll
b. : to take as toll
2. : to exact a toll from (someone)
III. transitive verb
or tole ˈtōl
( tolled or toled ; toll·ing or tol·ing )
Etymology: Middle English tollen, tolen; akin to Old English for tyllan to seduce
Date: 13th century
1. : allure , entice
2.
a. : to entice (game) to approach
b. : to attract (fish) with scattered bait
c. : to lead or attract (domestic animals) to a desired point
IV. verb
Etymology: Middle English, to pull, drag, toll (a bell), perhaps alteration of toilen to struggle — more at toil
Date: 15th century
transitive verb
1. : to sound (a bell) by pulling the rope
2.
a. : to give signal or announcement of
the clock toll ed each hour
b. : to announce by tolling
church bells toll ed the death of the bishop
c. : to call to or from a place or occasion
bells toll ed the congregation to church
intransitive verb
: to sound with slow measured strokes
the bell toll s solemnly
V. noun
Date: 15th century
: the sound of a tolling bell