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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 *dol- (“calculation, fraud”).[1]

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”).

toll (plural tolls)

  1. 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.
  2. Loss or damage incurred through a disaster.

    The war has taken its toll on the people.

  3. 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
  4. (business, by extension) 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.

  5. (US) A tollbooth.

    We will be replacing some manned tolls with high-speed device readers.

  6. (UK, law, obsolete) A liberty to buy and sell within the bounds of a manor.
  7. A portion of grain taken by a miller as a compensation for grinding.

fee for using roads and bridges

loss or damage

toll (third-person singular simple present tolls, present participle tolling, simple past and past participle tolled)

  1. (transitive) To impose a fee for the use of.

    Once more it is proposed to toll the East River bridges.

  2. (transitive, intransitive) To levy a toll on (someone or something).
  3. (transitive) To take as a toll.
  4. To pay a toll or tallage.
  1. ^ Whitney, The Century dictionary and cyclopedia, toll.

Probably the same as Etymology 3. Possibly related to or influenced by toil

toll (plural tolls)

  1. The act or sound of ringing a bell, especially slowly, as with a church or cemetery bell.

act or sound of tolling

toll (third-person singular simple present tolls, present participle tolling, simple past and past participle tolled)

  1. (ergative) To ring (a bell) slowly and repeatedly.

    Martin tolled the great bell every day.

    Ask not for whom the bell tolls.

    • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[[Episode 12: The Cyclops]]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC:

      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.

  2. (transitive) To summon by ringing a bell.

    The ringer tolled the workers back from the fields for vespers.

    • 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:

      When hollow murmurs of their evening bells
      Dismiss the sleepy swains, and toll them to their cells.

  3. (transitive) To announce by ringing a bell.

    The bells tolled the King’s death.

  4. (figuratively) To make a sound as if made by a bell.

to make the noise of a bell

to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly

A tolling bell refers to a slow sound, as at a funeral, while the tocsin refers to a fast sound, as in alarm.

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”).

toll (third-person singular simple present tolls, present participle tolling, simple past and past participle tolled)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To draw; pull; tug; drag.
  2. (transitive) To tear in pieces.
  3. (transitive) To draw; entice; invite; allure.

    Hou many virgins shal she tolle and drawe to þe Lord - "Life of Our Lady"

  4. (transitive) To lure with bait; tole (especially, fish and animals).

From Latin tollō (“to lift up”).

toll (third-person singular simple present tolls, present participle tolling, simple past and past participle tolled)

  1. (law, obsolete) To take away; to vacate; to annul.
  2. (law) To suspend.

toll

  1. (African-American Vernacular) simple past and past participle of tell

    I done toll you for the last time.

Probably from Proto-Celtic *tullom, *tullos (“hole”). (Compare Irish toll, Welsh twll, both meaning "hole".)

toll m (plural tolls)

  1. pool, puddle

From Middle High German tol, from Old High German tol, from Proto-West Germanic *dol, from Proto-Germanic *dulaz (“dazed, foolish, crazy, stupid”).

toll (strong nominative masculine singular toller, comparative toller, superlative am tollsten)

  1. (colloquial) great, nice, wonderful
    Synonyms: cool, geil
    ‚Katjuscha‘ ist ein tolles Lied. ― ‘Katyusha’ is a great song.
  2. (dated) crazy, mad
    Synonym: verrückt

    • 1924, Thomas Mann, Der Zauberberg [The Magic Mountain], volume 1, Berlin: S. Fischer, page 141:

      Wie aus weiter Ferne hörte er Frau Stöhr etwas erzählen oder behaupten, was ihm als so tolles Zeug erschien, daß er in verwirrte Zweifel geriet, ob er noch richtig höre oder ob Frau Stöhrs Äußerungen sich vielleicht in seinem Kopfe zu Unsinn verwandelten.

      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Comparative forms of toll

Superlative forms of toll

  • “toll” in Duden online
  • “toll” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

From Proto-Uralic *tulka.[1][2]

toll (plural tollak)

  1. feather (a branching, hair-like structure that grows on the bodies of birds, used for flight, swimming, protection and display)
  2. feather (a feather-like fin or wing on objects, such as an arrow)
  3. pen (a tool, originally made from a feather but now usually a small tubular instrument, containing ink used to write or make marks)
  4. (figuratively) pen (a writer, or his style)
Inflection (stem in -a-, back harmony)
singular plural
nominative toll tollak
accusative tollat tollakat
dative tollnak tollaknak
instrumental tollal tollakkal
causal-final tollért tollakért
translative tollá tollakká
terminative tollig tollakig
essive-formal tollként tollakként
essive-modal — —
inessive tollban tollakban
superessive tollon tollakon
adessive tollnál tollaknál
illative tollba tollakba
sublative tollra tollakra
allative tollhoz tollakhoz
elative tollból tollakból
delative tollról tollakról
ablative tolltól tollaktól
non-attributive
possessive - singular 		tollé tollaké
non-attributive
possessive - plural 		tolléi tollakéi
Possessive forms of toll
possessor single possession multiple possessions
1st person sing. tollam tollaim
2nd person sing. tollad tollaid
3rd person sing. tolla tollai
1st person plural tollunk tollaink
2nd person plural tollatok tollaitok
3rd person plural tolluk tollaik
  1. ^ Entry #1075 in Uralonet, online Uralic etymological database of the Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics.
  2. ^ toll in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN.  (See also its 2nd edition.)
  • toll in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

toll

  1. indefinite accusative singular of tollur

From Old Irish toll (“hole, hollow; buttocks, hindquarters”), from Proto-Celtic *tullom, *tullos (“hole”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew- (“to push, hit”). Cognate with Welsh twll.

toll m (genitive singular toill, nominative plural toill)

  1. hole, hollow
  2. posterior, buttocks

From Old Irish toll (“pierced, perforated; hollow, empty”). See Etymology 1 above.

toll (genitive singular masculine toill, genitive singular feminine toille, plural tolla, comparative toille)

  1. pierced, perforated
  2. hollow, empty; (of voice) deep, hollow

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

From Old Irish tollaid (“pierces; penetrates”). See Etymology 1 above.

toll (present analytic tollann, future analytic tollfaidh, verbal noun tolladh, past participle tollta)

  1. to bore, to pierce, to perforate
singular plural relative autonomous
first second third first second third
indicative present tollaim tollann tú;
tollair† 		tollann sé, sí tollaimid tollann sibh tollann siad;
tollaid† 		a thollann; a thollas /
a dtollann*; a dtollas* 		tolltar
past tholl mé; thollas tholl tú; thollais tholl sé, sí thollamar; tholl muid tholl sibh; thollabhair tholl siad; tholladar a tholl /
ar tholl* 		tolladh
past habitual thollainn / dtollainn‡‡ tholltá / dtolltᇇ tholladh sé, sí / dtolladh sé, s퇇 thollaimis; tholladh muid / dtollaimis‡‡; dtolladh muid‡‡ tholladh sibh / dtolladh sibh‡‡ thollaidís; tholladh siad / dtollaidís‡‡; dtolladh siad‡‡ a tholladh /
a dtolladh* 		tholltaí / dtollta퇇
future tollfaidh mé;
tollfad 		tollfaidh tú;
tollfair† 		tollfaidh sé, sí tollfaimid;
tollfaidh muid 		tollfaidh sibh tollfaidh siad;
tollfaid† 		a thollfaidh; a thollfas /
a dtollfaidh*; a dtollfas* 		tollfar
conditional thollfainn / dtollfainn‡‡ thollfá / dtollfᇇ thollfadh sé, sí / dtollfadh sé, s퇇 thollfaimis; thollfadh muid / dtollfaimis‡‡; dtollfadh muid‡‡ thollfadh sibh / dtollfadh sibh‡‡ thollfaidís; thollfadh siad / dtollfaidís‡‡; dtollfadh siad‡‡ a thollfadh /
a dtollfadh* 		thollfaí / dtollfa퇇
subjunctive present go dtolla mé;
go dtollad† 		go dtolla tú;
go dtollair† 		go dtolla sé, sí go dtollaimid;
go dtolla muid 		go dtolla sibh go dtolla siad;
go dtollaid† 		— go dtolltar
past dá dtollainn dá dtolltá dá dtolladh sé, sí dá dtollaimis;
dá dtolladh muid 		dá dtolladh sibh dá dtollaidís;
dá dtolladh siad 		— dá dtolltaí
imperative tollaim toll tolladh sé, sí tollaimis tollaigí;
tollaidh† 		tollaidís — tolltar
verbal noun tolladh
past participle tollta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
toll tholl dtoll
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.
  1. ^ Quiggin, E. C. (1906) A Dialect of Donegal, Cambridge University Press, page 23

From Old Norse þǫll, from Proto-Norse *ᚦᚨᛚᚢ (*þallu), from Proto-Germanic *þallō. Cognate with Swedish tall, Icelandic þöll.

  • (Brunflo, Hällesjö) IPA(key): [¹t̪ʰɔl̪ː]
  • (Berg) IPA(key): [¹t̪ʰɞ̞l̪ː]
  • (Stugun) IPA(key): [¹t̪ʰol̪ː]
  • (Fors) IPA(key): [¹t̪ʰɒl̪ː]

toll m

  1. pine, Scots pine tree, Pinus sylvestris

From Old English toll, from Proto-Germanic *tullō.

toll (plural tolles)

  2. A toll, tax, or charge.
  3. The privilege to levy fees or charges.
  4. A waiver from any fees or charges.
  5. (rare) taxation, payment.
  6. (rare) An edge, point of difference

toll

  2. Alternative form of tollen (“to bring”).

From Late Latin teloneum and Old Norse tollr.

toll m (definite singular tollen, indefinite plural toller, definite plural tollene)

  1. duty (customs duty, excise duty)
  2. customs
    gå gjennom tollen ― to go through customs

From Old Norse þǫll, from Proto-Norse *ᚦᚨᛚᚢ (*þallu), from Proto-Germanic *þallō. Cognate with Jamtish toll, Icelandic þöll.

toll f (definite singular tolla, indefinite plural toller, definite plural tollene)

  1. (young) pine
    Synonym: fure

    • 1908, Ivar Kleiven, I Heimegrendi : Minne fraa Seksti-Aarom, Kristiania: Aschehoug:

      tolli stod tjukk som hampen so langt me kunde sjå

      the pine[s] stood thick as hemp for as long as we could see
  2. soft pine wood

From Old Norse tollr, from Middle Low German tol, from Old Saxon tolna, from Medieval Latin toloneum.

toll m (definite singular tollen, indefinite plural tollar, definite plural tollane)

  1. duty (customs duty, excise duty)
  2. customs
    gå gjennom tollen ― to go through customs

From Proto-Germanic *tollą, from Vulgar Latin toloneum, from Late Latin teloneum, from Ancient Greek τελώνιον (telṓnion, “toll-house”), from τέλος (télos, “tax”).

Germanic cognates include Old Saxon tol (Dutch tol), Old High German zol (German Zoll), Old Norse tollr (Swedish tull). See also parallel forms represented by Old English toln.

toll n

  1. tax, toll, fare

From Old Irish toll (“hole, hollow; buttocks, hindquarters”), from Proto-Celtic *tukslo-, *tullos (“pierced, hollow”), see also Middle Low German stoken (“to stab, to prickle”), German stochern (“to pick, to poke”), Sanskrit दति (tudáti, “to push, to strike, to jab, to pierce”).[1]

toll m (genitive singular tuill, plural tuill)

  1. hole, cavity, puncture, hollow
  2. crevice, perforation
  3. pit
  4. socket
  5. (nautical) hold of a ship
  6. (vulgar) arse
  1. ^ MacBain, Alexander, Mackay, Eneas (1911) “toll”, in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language‎[1], Stirling, →ISBN

From Old Irish tollaid (“pierces; penetrates”), from toll (“hole, hollow”). See Etymology 1 above.

toll (past tholl, future tollaidh, verbal noun tolladh, past participle tollte)

  1. bore, piece, drill, perforate

From Proto-Samic *tolë, from Proto-Uralic *tule.

toll

  1. fire
Even â-stem, lˈl-l gradation
Nominative toll
Genitive tool
Singular Plural
Nominative toll tool
Accusative tool toolid
Genitive tool tooli
Illative toʹlle toolid
Locative toolâst toolin
Comitative toolin toolivuiʹm
Abessive tooltää toolitää
Essive tollân
Partitive tollâd
Possessive forms
Singular Dual Plural
1st person — — —
2nd person — — —
3rd person — — —
  • Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎[3], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

From Proto-Samic *tolë, from Proto-Uralic *tule.

toll

  1. fire
  • Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎[4], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland