Meaning & use
tote
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Meanings
verbtransitiveinformalAmerican
To carry something heavy or awkward, often for some distance.
Grammar: Takes an object: she toted a heavy bag.
Patterns
- tote something
- tote something around
He toted two suitcases up four flights of stairs.
The kids toted their sleeping bags across the field.
She toted a camera everywhere she traveled.
verbtransitiveinformal
To have or carry a gun regularly, usually in the phrase tote a gun.
Grammar: Mostly appears with weapons: toting a rifle.
Patterns
- tote a gun
- tote a weapon
The guard toted a rifle along the fence line.
In old films, cowboys tote revolvers on their hips.
He doesn't tote a weapon on the job.
nouncountable
A large, open bag with handles, used for carrying things such as books or groceries.
Grammar: Often part of the term tote bag: a canvas tote.
Patterns
- a canvas tote
- a tote of something
She packed her laptop and lunch in a canvas tote.
I keep a folding tote in the car for groceries.
He gave each guest a tote filled with snacks.
nounsingularBritishinformal
In the UK, the official betting system run on horse races, shortened from totalisator.
Grammar: Usually the tote, as in a bet on the tote.
Patterns
- bet on the tote
- the tote pays
My uncle put a small bet on the tote at the races.
The tote paid well on the outsider.
She checked the tote board for the odds.
Word forms
| third person singular | totes |
|---|---|
| past tense | toted |
| past participle | toted |
| -ing form | toting |
| plural (noun) | totes |
Common combinations
- tote bag
- She carried her books in a tote bag.
- tote something around
- He totes his guitar around everywhere.
- tote a gun
- The ranger does not tote a gun on patrol.
- canvas tote
- A canvas tote is sturdy enough for groceries.
- tote board
- The tote board showed the odds for each horse.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lug
- Lug stresses that the load is heavy and awkward, and it often sounds unwilling, while tote is neutral and casual.
- carry
- Carry is the everyday word for any load, and it has no informal or regional flavor.
- haul
- Haul suggests pulling or moving something heavy over some distance, often with a vehicle.
- cart
- Cart suggests transporting things by cart or taking them somewhere with effort.
Opposites
Word family
- toting adjective
- carrying, as in a gun-toting guard
- tote bag noun
- a large open bag with two handles
Commonly confused: tote or tot?
tote vs tot
Tot means a small child, or to add up (tot up). It looks like tote but has different meanings.
Practice
He ______ a heavy toolbox across the construction site.
Choose one answer.
Toted means carried, which fits a heavy toolbox. Totaled means added up or wrecked, toasted means heated, and touted means promoted.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tote”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.