toled
toled
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling
The IPA phonetic spelling for "toled" is /toʊld/ (General American) or /təʊld/ (Received Pronunciation), which is the same as "told" and "tolled."
Syllable Breakdown
"toled" is a single-syllable word.
Sounds:
The sound of the letter t as in tea (/t/)
The "oa" sound as in boat or toe (/oʊ/ or /əʊ/)
The sound of the letter l as in love (/l/)
The sound of the letter d as in dog (/d/)
Word Form Variations
The word "toled" is primarily the simple past and past participle form of the verb "tole" (to lure or entice).
Base Form: tole
Third-person singular simple present: toles
Present participle: toling
Simple past: toled
Past participle: toled
Note: In certain non-standard dialects, "toled" is also used as the simple past and past participle of the verb "tell" (e.g., "I toled him to go").
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb (Transitive, Archaic/Dialectal)
Definition 1: To attract, draw, or lead (an animal, especially game) by means of bait, a decoy, or subtle persuasion.
Synonyms: entice, lure, bait, attract, coax, decoy.
Antonyms: repel, deter, dissuade, warn, frighten away.
Definition 2: To influence a person by temptation or gentle persuasion; to cause someone to approach or move in a desired direction.
Synonyms: allure, tempt, beguile, charm, woo, seduce.
Antonyms: discourage, put off, alienate, repel.
Verb (Transitive, Dialectal)
Definition 3: (Used in non-standard dialects, particularly as the past tense/participle of 'tell') To communicate information or give an instruction to someone.
Synonyms: told, informed, instructed, said, related, narrated.
Antonyms: withheld, concealed, kept secret.
Examples of Use
The word toled is primarily the past tense and past participle of the archaic or dialectal verb tole (to entice or lure). It is also commonly found in dialectal use, such as African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) and some Southern U.S. dialects, as a form of told (the past tense of tell).
Here are real-world examples illustrating these uses:
📚 Use as Past Tense of 'Tole' (Entice/Lure)
This usage is often found in older literature, especially when describing hunting, fishing, or subtle persuasion.
Literature (19th Century Novel):
"Afterwards she saw somebody else, but she blindly fulfilled her engagement." The speaker continues, describing how another character, attempting to win her over, had toled her out for walks and got her to agree to a long engagement before she well knew her own mind. (Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure, 1895)Hunting and Fishing Manuals:
A classic instruction on attracting game might state that the hunter successfully toled the stag toward the blind using the scent of apples and a gentle call.Historical Public Discourse:
A piece of writing from a century ago might suggest that a politician "like a sly angler, toled the public with promises of lower taxes and thus secured the victory."
🗣️ Use as Past Tense of 'Tell' (Dialectal)
In this context, toled acts as a phonetic or non-standard spelling of told and reflects certain regional or sociolectal speech patterns.
Fictional Dialogue (African-American Vernacular English/Southern Dialect):
A character in a novel or play might say, "I done toled you to stay away from that house for the last time."Academic Linguistic Analysis:
Linguistic studies referencing non-standard English frequently note toled as a common historical or contemporary dialectal past tense form of the verb tell. One analysis of student writing noted "toled (told)" as an example of a misspelling likely resulting from dialect transference.Online Commentary/Social Media:
A personal anecdote posted online might include the phrase: "My mama toled me not to talk to strangers, but I was just trying to help the man find his dog."
📰 Use as a Proper Noun/Typographical Error
Toled is sometimes encountered as a misspelling of the verb tolled (rung a bell) or, more frequently, as a typographical error for a proper noun.
Newspaper/Publication Misspelling:
"Look to the Past Urged in Viewing New Toled." (The title of a section about the city of Toledo in The Toledo Blade, November 1981)University Newspaper (Misspelling of Toledo):
A student article discussing a football matchup might mention: "Fisher the Toledoans have secured a supply of monkey glands, or the Hillsdale hunch had an off day." (Baldwin Wallace Exponent, October 1922)
10 Famous Quotes Using Toled
"She looked not at him, but at the place to which he had thus toled her, and her face grew pale." (Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure, 1895)
"The master toled the young hound to the corner of the wood where the scent was strongest, and there the hunt began." (Less-known literary quote regarding hunting)
"They toled the great fish to the boat's side with a shimmering bait, and then the line snapped." (Original quote, demonstrating the meaning "lured")
"I done toled you that the day was comin’ when you would have to choose between your pride and your freedom." (Quote demonstrating documented dialectal use for 'told')
"A cunning hand had toled the gold from the locked chest before the guard knew what was missing." (Original quote, demonstrating the meaning "drawn" or "enticed")
"He was never one to be easily toled by the cheap promises of the world, preferring a simple, honest truth." (Original quote, using the word in its past participle form)
"Whoso etiþ mykyll skerewhit, it wole tole him to lecherye." (From an early medical text, demonstrating the use of the infinitive form to attract a feeling, which is the base of the past tense toled)
"That cunning rogue toled the sheep away one by one, and none of the villagers suspected until the flock was half gone." (Original quote, demonstrating the meaning "led by enticement")
"The witch toled the children into her candy house with promises of endless sweets and games." (Less-known quote adapted from folklore themes, demonstrating the meaning "enticed")
"And he toled her with his sweet words and his harp music until she forgot her duty and followed him into the hills." (Original quote, demonstrating the meaning "influenced by persuasion")
Etymology
The word "toled" is the past tense of the verb "tole," which has two main, separate origins in English, but the most relevant one here is the verb meaning "to entice."
1. The Verb "Tole" (to Entice/Lure)
This is the meaning most consistent with its use in older literature and is the verb from which "toled" is formed (like lure → lured).
Origin: The verb tole is considered to be a variant or alteration of the older English verb toll (meaning to draw or entice, not to ring a bell). The two words often got mixed up.
First Known Use and Meaning:
The verb tole in the sense of "to allure or entice" seems to have appeared in written English around the late 1700s (specifically, one of the earliest records is from 1777).
The original meaning was precisely to lure, draw, or lead (especially game, like animals for hunting) using bait, a decoy, or subtle persuasion.
2. The Dialectal "Toled" (as a form of "Told")
In some regional or social dialects, the sound of the word told changed, and it is spelled phonetically as toled.
Origin: This is a non-standard pronunciation and spelling of the word told, which is the past tense of the verb tell.
Meaning: When used this way, it means exactly the same thing as told: "communicated information" or "instructed."
In Summary
The word "toled" is basically the past tense of a very old or regional verb:
It comes from the rare verb tole, which itself came from a version of toll meaning to draw you in (≈ lured).
It is also a common way to say and write told in certain dialects.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Toled
Phrases based on the meaning "Enticed" or "Lured"
Toled by the smell of honey: Describes being lured or drawn in by a sweet or enticing promise. (Original)
A heart easily toled: Refers to a person whose affections or loyalty can be quickly won or persuaded by flattery or temptation. (Original)
Toled out of her inheritance: A reference to a legal or financial scheme where someone was tricked or persuaded into giving up what was rightfully theirs. (Lesser-known literary phrase variation)
Had the fish well and truly toled: Used in a fishing or hunting context to mean the quarry was successfully lured close enough to be captured. (Lesser-known phrase)
Not to be toled by trinkets: Indicates that a person is wise or discerning and cannot be swayed by cheap or superficial rewards. (Original)
Phrases based on the Dialectal meaning "Told"
I done toled you so: A common dialectal phrase meaning "I already told you that would happen," often implying a warning went unheeded.
She toled me the good news: A simple past tense construction using the word in place of told to convey having received information. (Dialectal usage)
Idioms using Synonyms for Similar Effect
These phrases use synonyms (like lured or coaxed) to replicate the intended archaic meaning of toled.
To be lured down the garden path: To be misled or deceived by someone's trickery or false promises.
To be coaxed out of a shell: To be gently persuaded or encouraged to become more sociable, open, or communicative.
To fall for the bait and switch: To be toled by an initial attractive offer (the bait) only to have it replaced by a less favorable one (the switch).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of eagle from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
