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toll1

Pronunciation: /təʊl/

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Definition of toll

noun

  • 1a charge payable to use a bridge or road:motorway tolls [as modifier]:a toll bridge
  • North American a charge for a long-distance telephone call.
  • 2 [in singular] the number of deaths or casualties arising from a natural disaster, conflict, accident, etc.:the toll of dead and injured mounted
  • the adverse effect of something:the environmental toll of the policy has been high

verb

[with object] (usually as noun tolling)
  • charge a toll for the use of (a bridge or road):the report advocates motorway tolling

Phrases

take its toll (or take a heavy toll)

have an adverse effect:years of pumping iron have taken their toll on his body

Origin:

Old English (denoting a charge, tax, or duty), from medieval Latin toloneum, alteration of late Latin teloneum, from Greek telōnion 'toll house', from telos 'tax'. toll1 (sense 2 of the noun) (late 19th century) arose from the notion of paying a toll or tribute in human lives (to an adversary or to death)

toll in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of toll in the US English dictionary

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