toll 1
/tohl/ , n.
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.
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.
v.t.
8. to collect (something) as toll.
9. to impose a tax or toll on (a person).
v.i.
10. to collect toll; levy toll.
[ bef. 1000; (n.) ME, OE toll (c. D tol, G Zoll, ON tollr ), assimilated var. of OE toln toloneum, for teloneum teloneîon tollhouse, akin to telónes tax collector, télos tax; (v.) ME tollen, deriv. of the n. ]
Syn. 3. tariff, levy, impost, exaction.
toll 2
/tohl/ , v.t.
1. to cause (a large bell) to sound with single strokes slowly and regularly repeated, as for summoning a congregation to church, or esp. 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.
v.i.
7. to sound with single strokes slowly and regularly repeated, as a bell.
n.
8. the act of tolling a bell.
9. one of the strokes made in tolling a bell.
10. the sound made.
Also, tole (for defs. 5, 6 ).
[ 1175-1225; ME tollen to entice, lure, pull, hence prob. to make (a bell) ring by pulling a rope; akin to OE -tyllan, in fortyllan to attract, allure ]
toll 3
/tohl/ , v.t. Law.
to suspend or interrupt (as a statute of limitations).
[ 1425-75; late ME tollen to remove, legally annul tolre, tol ( l ) er tollere to remove, take away ]