toll

I. 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 (tolled or toled; tolling or toling) Etymology: Middle English tollen, tolen; akin to Old English fortyllan 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 tolled each hour

> b. to announce by tolling <

church bells tolled the death of the bishop

> c. to call to or from a place or occasion <

bells tolled the congregation to church

> intransitive verb to sound with slow measured strokes <

the bell tolls solemnly

> V. noun Date: 15th century the sound of a tolling bell