tote

1 of 4

verb (1)

toted; toting

transitive verb

1
: to carry by hand : bear on the person : lug, pack
2
toter noun

tote

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
2

tote

3 of 4

verb (2)

toted; toting

transitive verb

: add, total
usually used with up
toted up his accomplishmentsG. P. Morrill

tote

4 of 4

noun (2)

Examples of tote in a Sentence

Verb (1) toted his dog from the muddy backyard to the bathtub for a thorough washing
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
During 43 games at Carver, Marks carried the offense on his back, toting the ball 614 times for 10 yards per carry. Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024 Over the past few months, the 28-year-old model has undoubtably contributed to a rise in Coach sales, repeatedly toting around the Brooklyn shoulder bag in multiple colors before switching over to the Coachtopia Alter/Ego hobo bag. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
In addition to that, the zine’s compact size (8.5 inches by 5.5 inches) is easy to stow in a beach tote and won’t blow around in the breeze like the newspaper version would. Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024 The Coach Empire carryall has quickly become my go-to office tote. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tote 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

probably from an English-based creole; akin to Gullah & Krio tot to carry, of Bantu origin; akin to Kikongo -tota to pick up, Kimbundu -tuta to carry

Verb (2)

English dialect tote, noun, total

Noun (2)

short for totalizator

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1677, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

circa 1772, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb (2)

1888, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tote was in 1677

Dictionary Entries Near tote

Cite this Entry

“Tote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tote. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tote

verb
ˈtōt
toted; toting
: to carry by hand
toter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on tote

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!