total

 
Pronunciation: /ˈtəʊt(ə)l/

adjective

  • 1 [attributive] comprising the whole number or amount: a total cost of £4,000
  • 2complete; absolute: it is a matter of total indifference to me a total stranger

noun

  • the whole number or amount of something: he scored a total of thirty-three points in total, 200 people were interviewed

verb (totals, totalling, totalled; US totals, totaling, totaled)

  • 1 [with object] amount in number to: they were left with debts totalling £6,260
  • add up the full number or amount of: the scores were totalled
  • 2 [with object] informal, chiefly North American damage (something, typically a vehicle) beyond repair; wreck: he almost totaled the car
  • kill or severely injure (someone): we’d just totaled a couple of teenage boys

Origin:

late Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin totalis, from totum 'the whole', neuter of Latin totus 'whole, entire'. The verb, at first in the sense 'add up', dates from the late 16th century

Spelling rule

Double the l when adding endings which begin with a vowel to words which end in a vowel plus l (as in travel): (totals, totalling, totalled).