Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense tolls, present participle tolling, past tense, past participle tolled
1. verb
When a bell tolls or when someone tolls it, it rings slowly and repeatedly, often as a sign that someone has died.
Church bells tolled and black flags fluttered. [VERB]
The pilgrims tolled the bell. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: ring, sound, strike, chime More Synonyms of toll
2. countable noun
A toll is a small sum of money that you have to pay in order to use a particular bridge or road.
3. countable noun [NOUN noun]
A toll road or toll bridge is a road or bridge where you have to pay in order to use it.
4. countable noun [usually singular]
A toll is a total number of deaths, accidents, or disasters that occur in a particular period of time.
[journalism]
There are fears that the casualty toll may be higher.
...the second highest annual murder toll in that city's history.
Synonyms: damage, cost, loss, roll More Synonyms of toll
5. See also death toll
6.
See take its toll
More Synonyms of toll
toll in British English1
(təʊl)
verb
1.
to ring or cause to ring slowly and recurrently
2. (transitive)
to summon, warn, or announce by tolling
3. US and Canadian
to decoy (game, esp ducks)
noun
4.
the act or sound of tolling
Word origin
C15: perhaps related to Old English -tyllan, as in fortyllan to attract
toll in British English2
(təʊl, tɒl)
noun
1.
a.
an amount of money levied, esp for the use of certain roads, bridges, etc, to cover the cost of maintenance
b.
(as modifier)
toll road
2.
loss or damage incurred through an accident, disaster, etc
the war took its toll of the inhabitants
3. Also called: tollage
(formerly) the right to levy a toll
4. Also called: toll charge New Zealand
a charge for a telephone call beyond a free-dialling area
Word origin
Old English toln; related to Old Frisian tolene, Old High German zol toll, from Late Latin telōnium customs house, from Greek telōnion, ultimately from telos tax
toll in American English1
(toʊl)
noun
1.
a tax or charge for a privilege, esp. for permission to pass over a bridge, along a highway, etc.
2.
a charge for service or extra service, as for transportation, for a long-distance telephone call, or, formerly, for having one's grain milled
3.
the number lost, taken, exacted, etc.; exaction
the tornado took a heavy toll of lives
verb intransitive
4. Rare
to collect a toll or tolls
verb transitive Rare
5.
to take or gather as a toll
6.
to impose a toll on
Word origin
ME < OE, akin to Ger zoll, ON tollr < MLowG tol < ML tolneum < VL *toloneum, toll(house), for L teloneum < Gr telōnion < telōnēs, tax collector < telos, tax, akin to tlēnai, to support, bear: for IE base see tolerate
toll in American English2
(toʊl)
verb transitive
1. Chiefly Dialectal
to allure or entice; esp., to decoy (game, etc.)
2.
a.
to ring (a church bell, etc.) slowly with regularly repeated strokes, esp. for announcing a death
b.
to sound (the hour, a knell, etc.) by this
c.
to announce, summon, or dismiss by this
d.
to announce the death of (someone) in this way
verb intransitive
3.
to sound or ring slowly in regularly repeated strokes
said of a bell
noun
4.
the act of tolling a bell
5.
the sound of a bell tolling
6.
a single stroke of the bell
Derived forms
toller (ˈtoller)
noun
Word origin
ME tollen, to pull, ? akin to OE -tyllan, to mislead < IE base *del- > tale
Examples of 'toll' in a sentence
toll
There are fears that the death toll will rise as the weather worsens.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Human rights groups say the true toll could be higher.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And trying to raise the money from toll charges on visitors to the national park is impractical.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The constant stress has taken its toll.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The health ministry has warned that the death toll may rise.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The bell tolls for thee.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
For Ireland, the toll was heavy.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And for survivors, cancer treatments take a heavy toll and can have long-term health effects.
The Sun (2016)
The winner will be responsible for the payment of all tolls, congestion charges, parking or road traffic fines incurred during the loan period.
The Sun (2016)
Their jobs tend to take a heavy toll on their family lives.
Christianity Today (2000)
Officials yesterday warned the death toll was likely to rise.
The Sun (2013)
The exact death toll remained shrouded in mystery.
The Sun (2013)
Most motorists now accept the pressing need to cut the appalling toll of accidents involving cyclists.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The death toll may be far higher because many unexplained deaths go unrecorded.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You can pay tolls in sterling cash at manned booths.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We pay enough in toll charges to use their roads.
The Sun (2009)
The murder toll is rising at terrifying speed.
The Sun (2008)
Some put the toll at twenty civilians killed.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Its other transport investments include toll roads and bridges.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The case for tolls on new roads is strong.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The pressure is taking a heavy toll.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The aim was to reduce the heavy toll of shipwrecks caused by the crude navigational method of dead reckoning.
The Times Literary Supplement (2008)
Rumours that he plans to levy a toll for passengers using the steps to board planes are yet to be confirmed.
The Sun (2008)
Motorists gave way as the convoy hurtled past and three motorway toll booths raised their barriers to let the cars speed through.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Experts warned the toll is likely to continue rising during the year to reach a record high due to the credit crunch.
The Sun (2008)
One way or another, the bell would toll loudly for us.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The July death toll was the highest monthly total in nearly a year.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Will the owners of townhouses carve out self-contained flats in the attic or the basement to avoid the annual toll?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The confirmed death toll of the disaster has risen to four, with 22 people still missing.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Commuters who ride their bikes to work face an increased danger with the casualty toll at rush hour 10 per cent higher than the previous year.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The government said that the measure was designed to reduce Russia's horrific toll from traffic accidents caused by dangerous driving.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
toll
British English: toll /təʊl/ NOUN
A toll is a sum of money that you have to pay in order to use a particular bridge or road.
You have to pay a toll to drive across the bridge.
American English: toll
Arabic: رَسْم
Brazilian Portuguese: pedágio
Chinese: 通行费
Croatian: cestarina
Czech: mýtné
Danish: omkostning
Dutch: tolgeld
European Spanish: peaje
Finnish: kellonlyönti
French: péage
German: Maut
Greek: διόδια
Italian: pedaggio
Japanese: 鐘の音
Korean: 종치기
Norwegian: bompenger
Polish: opłata (za przejazd)
European Portuguese: pedágio
Romanian: taxă rutieră
Russian: колокольный звон
Latin American Spanish: peaje
Swedish: avgift
Thai: ค่าผ่านทาง
Turkish: çan sesi
Ukrainian: збір
Vietnamese: lệ phí cầu đường
British English: toll VERB
When a bell tolls or when someone tolls it, it rings slowly and repeatedly, often as a sign that someone has died.
The bells tolled and black flags fluttered.
American English: toll
Brazilian Portuguese: tocar
Chinese: 鸣响常指丧钟
European Spanish: repicar
French: sonner le glasN
German: läuten
Italian: suonare a morto
Japanese: ゆっくりと鳴らす/ゆっくりと鳴る
Korean: 종이 울리다
European Portuguese: tocar
Latin American Spanish: repicar
All related terms of 'toll'
toll bar
a bar, gate , etc. for stopping travel at a point where tolls are taken
toll call
a short-distance trunk call
toll-free
A toll-free phone number is one which you can dial without having to pay for the call.
toll road
a road for which a toll is levied on people who want to travel on it
death toll
The death toll of an accident, disaster, or war is the number of people who die in it.
toll bridge
a bridge at which a toll is levied on people who want to cross it
toll charge
an amount of money levied , esp for the use of certain roads, bridges , etc, to cover the cost of maintenance
toll plaza
A toll plaza is the entrance to a toll road or toll bridge .
take its toll
If you say that something takes its toll or takes a heavy toll , you mean that it has a bad effect or causes a lot of suffering .