DictionaryAI

toll

SayTOHL/toʊl//təʊl/

Pluraltolls

Verbtolls, tolling, tolled

15 meanings of toll

Practice

  1. 1
    disaster lossesnouncountable
    The amount of damage, harm, or death caused by something, such as a disaster, a war, or hard work.

    Like the bill you have to pay after something bad happens.

    The storm took a heavy toll on the small coastal town.

    Rescuers feared the toll would rise as floodwaters spread.

    UsageSay something takes its toll on you. A death toll counts the dead.

    Similarcost

    Note
  2. 2
    price to passnouncountable
    Money you pay to use a road, bridge, or tunnel.

    Like paying a small fee to open a gate before you can pass.

    We paid a toll to cross the bridge.

    The toll on this highway went up last month.

    UsageYou pay a toll to use a toll road or bridge.

    Similarfee, charge, levy, duty

    Note
  3. 3
    pay stationnounUScountable
    A booth where drivers stop and pay to use a road or bridge.

    Like a little gate where you pay before you can drive on.

    He waited in line at the toll for nearly twenty minutes.

    We slowed down as we approached the toll.

    UsageMany people say tollbooth instead.

    Note
  4. 4
    charge driversverbtransitive
    To make people pay money, or give part of their goods, to use a road, bridge, or other place.

    Like putting a price on a road so people pay to use it.

    The city plans to toll the new bridge starting next year.

    Officials decided to toll the busy downtown streets.

    UsageYou toll a road: you make drivers pay to use it.

    Note
  5. 5
    make a bell ringverbtransitive or intransitive
    To ring a bell slowly again and again, or to make that sound, often to mark a death or call people.

    The sexton will toll the bell at sunset.

    Workers toll the great bell only on special days.

    UsageSay toll the bell or the bell tolls.

    Similarring, sound

    Note
  6. 6
    pause deadlineverbtransitive
    To pause a legal deadline so that time stops counting for a while.

    Like pressing pause on a clock so the time stops counting.

    The court agreed to toll the deadline while she was overseas.

    New laws can toll the time limit during an emergency.

    UsageSay a deadline is tolled: its time stops for a while.

    Similarsuspend, pause

    Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–4, 8, 12–13

From Old English toll meaning a toll or duty, from a Germanic root meaning something counted or reckoned. Another explanation traces it through Latin and Greek from a word for a toll-house.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

  • English toll derives from Old English toll, meaning a toll or duty. en.wiktionary.org
  • One proposed Germanic derivation connects the word with something counted or reckoned. en.wiktionary.org
  • An alternative explanation traces the word through Latin to a Greek word meaning toll-house. en.wiktionary.org
Meanings 5, 7

It is likely the same word as Etymology 3. It may also be connected to the word toil, or changed by it.

Meanings 9–10

From Middle English tolen, a form of a word meaning to draw, lure, or entice, from Old English words meaning to pull or attract.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

  • Toll derives from Middle English tolen, an alternative form of tollen. en.wiktionary.org
  • The related Middle English word meant to draw, lure, or entice. en.wiktionary.org
  • The Middle English word has an Old English antecedent associated with pulling or attracting. en.wiktionary.org
Meanings 6, 11

From Latin tollō meaning to lift up.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts