toll
part of speech
noun (a toll, tolls; the toll); verb (toll, tolls, tolled, tolling)
meaning for a pupil
1) A toll is money you must pay to use a road, bridge or tunnel. tree →
2) The toll of a disaster is the number of people killed or hurt, as in «the death toll». tree →
3) To take a toll (on) means to cause damage, harm or tiredness over time. tree →
4) To toll means for a large bell to ring slowly again and again, often for a death. tree →
5) A toll-free number is a phone number you can call without paying. tree →
sense in the lessons
In maths word problems, tolls are costs to add up; in geography, toll roads and bridges; in news, «the death toll rose»; in stories, church bells tolling for a funeral; phrases: toll road, toll booth, death toll, take its toll.
examples
- We paid a toll to cross the bridge. tree →
- The toll booth had a long queue. tree →
- The flood's death toll was sadly high. tree →
- Late nights took their toll on Dad. tree →
- The church bell tolled for the old king. tree →
- The toll road costs $4 each way. tree →
- Call the toll-free number for help. tree →
- "Cling, clang," tolled the hyacinth bells. tree →
note
Countable: a toll, tolls. Maths: «a $3 toll each way» means pay $3 going and $3 coming back = $6. Do not confuse with «tall» or «troll».
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «toll» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.