tolled

Tolled is the past tense and past participle of toll, and it has several related but distinct uses in English.

In transportation and infrastructure, tolled facilities charge a fee for passage. Toll roads, bridges, and ferries collect money from users, with methods ranging from traditional staffed booths to electronic systems. Tolling policies vary by jurisdiction and can depend on factors such as vehicle type, time of day, or distance traveled. Revenues are typically used for maintenance, system upgrades, or paying down debt related to the facility.

In bell ringing, to toll a bell means to ring it slowly and deliberately, usually at funerals, memorials, or other solemn occasions. The term can refer to the act itself as well as the sound produced by a tolling strike.

In law, tolling describes a pause or suspension in the running of a statute of limitations. A claim can be tolled during certain conditions, such as the plaintiff’s disability, absence from the jurisdiction, or ongoing negotiations or other legal proceedings. Tolling agreements are sometimes used to temporarily halt limitations periods while negotiations or formal actions proceed.

Etymology generally traces toll to historical terms meaning a charge or duty, reflecting the original sense of fees collected for passage or services. The word has since evolved to cover both the monetary fee concept and the slower, resonant sense of bell ringing, as well as a legal postponement concept.