tollage: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low (Archaic/Legal Historical)Historical, Legal, Archaic
Quick answer
What does “tollage” mean?
A tax, duty, or charge levied for using something, especially a bridge or road.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A tax, duty, or charge levied for using something, especially a bridge or road; the act of levying such a charge.
Historically, a payment or fee exacted by a lord or authority; figuratively, any heavy or burdensome cost or demand.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant modern difference, as the term is archaic in both dialects. Might be encountered slightly more in British historical contexts due to the UK's longer continuous legal history.
Connotations
Conveys a sense of historical or antiquated systems of taxation and feudal obligation.
Frequency
Extremely rare in contemporary usage for both.
Grammar
How to Use “tollage” in a Sentence
The lord levied tollage [on the merchants].They were subject to tollage [for passage].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tollage” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The Domesday Book records the tollage exacted at the river crossing.
- The charter abolished the unfair tollage on wool.
American English
- Historical accounts detail the tollage collected at the Boston town gate.
- The dispute centered on the lord's right to tollage.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used in modern business contexts.
Academic
Used in historical, economic, or legal studies discussing medieval or feudal economies.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
May appear in specialised historical or legal documents detailing old laws.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tollage”
- Using it in a modern context.
- Confusing it with 'tillage' (farming).
- Misspelling as 'tolledge' or 'tollige'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered an archaic or historical term and is very rarely used in modern English outside of specific academic or legal historical contexts.
'Toll' is the modern, still-used word for a charge for passage or use (e.g., bridge toll). 'Tollage' is an older, more formal noun referring to the system, act, or total sum of levying such tolls, and is now largely obsolete.
No, 'tollage' is only a noun. The related verb is 'to toll' (to charge a toll) or 'to levy'.
Yes, they are historical variants. 'Tallage' (also archaic) typically referred to a tax levied by a lord on his tenants or lands, while 'tollage' was more specifically on goods or passage, but the terms were often used interchangeably in medieval records.
A tax, duty, or charge levied for using something, especially a bridge or road.
Tollage is usually historical, legal, archaic in register.
Tollage: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtəʊlɪdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtoʊlɪdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None. The word is too archaic for modern idiomatic use.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TOLL booth from medieval times - the 'AGE' of TOLLS gives you TOLLAGE.
Conceptual Metaphor
A BURDEN or WEIGHT imposed by authority (e.g., 'the tollage of feudal obligations').
Practice
Quiz
In which context would you most likely encounter the word 'tollage'?