Middle English Dictionary Entry
tọ̄l n.(3)
Entry Info
| Forms | tọ̄l n.(3) Also tole, (chiefly N or NM) toil(e & (error) dole; pl. toles, etc. & toules, (N) tulles, tuiles & (early) tol, (infl.) tolen, tolum. |
| Etymology | OE tōl |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A tool, an instrument, or implement for manual use; also, a tool or device for a specific trade, occupation, or purpose: a carpenter's tool, a winnowing fork, a carving knife, a shoemaker's last, etc.; also fig.;—also coll.; egge (egged) ~ [see egge-tol n. (b); kervinge ~; nail ~ [see nail n. 2.(e)]; werkinge ~; windwinge ~; (b) an instrument of torture; (c) a handheld weapon, such as a sword, an ax, a mace, etc.; also, a platform used as an instrument or apparatus of war [quot. 1459; cp. tote-hil(le n. (b)]; egge (egged) ~ [see egge-tol n. (a)]; (d) a sexual organ.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)7/9 : Forlæt þonne eall þæt þu age, bute wiste & gewæden & tolen to swylce weorca swylce þu cunne.
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Elucid.(Vsp D.14)141/31 : Þurh swylcne smið & þurh swylce tol, geclænsað ure Drihten þære halgena sawlen.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)23/9 : Her hit specð hwylce sceolon beon þa tool to gode weorca.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)73/28 : Be mynstres tolum odðe oðer kynnes þynȝes and ehte.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)11/16 : Al þet gode riligiuse doð..al to gedere is her uore al nis bute ase tole [Nero: dole] to timbrin her towart.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14599 : Þes heðene cniht..nettes bi-sohte ibroiden swiðe narewe and þa tolen þer-to and cuht heom swiðe narewe.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)469 : Wopen of wigte and tol of grið Wel cuðe [f]egte and safgte [read: sagte] wið.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)507 : He hete chese carpenters..His hest was sone ydon Þousandes þer were anon Wiþ her tole.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2243 : Þei ne hadde redly rested but a litel while, þat werkmen forto worche..stifly wiþ strong tol ston stifly to digge..þei come to þe cave.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 3.17 : Whos wynewyng tool [L ventilabrum] in his hond, and he schal purge his corn floor and schal gedere the whete in to his berne.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)65/10 : Þey beþ iseye [to] haue trolles and honginge plomettes and mesures and towles of workman for by prouision of aungels God vseth to turne euel men to goode.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1149/32 : The oxe feedeþ wiþ his fleissh..His hornes..beþ ystreight oute and..of hem ben ymade dyuerse vesseles, tool, and instrumentz.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)299/12 : He schal haue manie diuers tool for to lete blood þerwiþ.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)11.134 : Alle kynne craftis I contreuide here Tolis, Of carpenteris & kerueris.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.632 : A wheston is no kervyng instrument, But yet it maketh sharppe kervyng tolis.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)30a/a : Galla: a tole for a barker.
- c1425 Mirror LM&W (Hrl 45)94/14 : Þen anon he takiþ a scharpe toole of repentaunce & grubbeþ aboute the herte til he..see all his defautes.
- (1435) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.279 : Also all my Instrumentes & tooll longyng to Sadelers craft beyng now in my dwellyng place forseyd.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.3339 : A keruer..With keruyng tool makth a fair image.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.838 : Take thy spadis, rakis, knyf, and shoule, And euery toole in beris grees defoule.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)85/24 : Ȝee say ȝe vse noȝte for to till þe erthe..ȝe hafe na Iren, whare-of ȝe myghte make ȝow tuyles for to wirke with-alle.
- a1450(1408) Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)101/1 : A legioun ne standiþ noȝt onliche in þe noumbre of kniȝtes bot also in noumbre of instrumentis & diuers tole to worche wiþ and also diuers wepenes to fiȝt wiþ.
- a1450(1408) Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)164/31 : Loke..þat þou haue redy..drye tymber..of asche also for heluynge..of worching tool.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)143/172 : Jos..But god graunte grace I noght for-gete No tulles þat we shulde with vs take.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4708 : Þan piȝt oure prince in þat place a pelare of marble, Quare-on a tulke with a toile þis titill vp he wrate.
- (1452-4) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)342 : Item, paye for batringe of masonis tolis and j reste, ij s. vj d.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2938 : He þouȝt þat he was a fole Naturell of kynde, & had noon othir tool.
- a1500(c1400) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)40 : Mony a mery mason was made þer to wyrke, Harde stones for to hewe wyt eggit toles.
- a1500 Bollard Grafting (Sln 686)31 : Than þou must cut it, holding þe egge of the tool toward þe tre or toward þe ground, and cut it soo with a sloop draught.
- c1500 The shype ax (Ashm 61)68 : To þe adys than seyd þe fyle..'I schall rube with all my myght My mayster tolys for to dyght.'
b
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2602 : Whanne he is dyth in dedys dole..He schal be tore wyth teneful tole.
- a1500 Tundale (Adv 19.3.1)767 : Tundale..saw mony a fowle bochere Euen amyddys þe fyr stande..Some hadde knyves & some hadde croke, Some hadde gret toles in her hande That semede full sharpe bytande.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)255/356 : Let all this bargan be, syn all oure toyles ar before; This tratoure and this tre I wold full fayn were thore.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4106 : We alle desiren..To han housbondes hardy, wise, and fre..ne no fool, Ne hym that is agast of euery tool [vr. thing told].
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1152/21 : He comeþ vpon þe beste boldelyche þat is most scharp and mighty and sleeþ him wiþ his tool and wepene [L secure venabulis].
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)413 : Ta now þy grymme tole to þe, & let se how þou cnokez.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.8209 : Hokid arowis alwey flen among..And with her tolys, stelyd & wel whet, Þe long[e] day þei han to-gidre met.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)14206 : Alle men, thei knewe by his tole: His sword was other halff fote brode.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)382/179 : I bidde ȝou..boldely make youe boune With toles þat ȝe on traste And dynge þat dastard doune.
- 1459 *Vegetius(1) (LdMisc 416)fol.103a : Tole [vr. tooyl; Dc: Agger is a toothul..on whiche men mowe stonde & schete & caste to þe walles].
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)227/20 : And thow be aferde..I rede the faste fle, for they wynne no worshyp of me but to waste their toolys.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)938 : Jason of his iorney was ioyfull ynoghe, Gryppet a grym toole, gyrd of his hede.
d
- a1425 Arth.& M.(LinI 150)1436 : For hadde heo wist of hire tol And how schort hit was wrouȝt, Heo neo hadde of hire loue souȝt.