You searched for: “tole”
tole, toll, toll
tole (TOHL) (noun)
A tray or sheet of metal that is painted and decorated in an elaborate fashion, frequently for domestic use: "Her parents had a stunning tole tray that was black with vivid flowers painted on it."
toll (TOHL) (verb)
1. To call, to give an announcement, or to signal typically with the use of bells: "We could hear the bell in the tower toll the hour and the half hour."

"The bells will toil the announcement of the marriage of the popular couple."

2. To lure or to attract something to a desired location: "We scattered crumbs on the water to toll the fish closer to shore."
toll (TOHL) (noun)
1. A fee charged for the use of something: "We paid the toll before crossing the bridge over the river."

"There is a two-coin toll for the use of the public telephone."

"There's a bridge ahead of us, so be prepared to pay the toll when we get there."

2. A grievous or sad loss: "The toll in human lives was devastating after the severe hurricane swept across the island."

The tole tray, which his parents possessed, commemorated important historical sites in their home town. Depicted on the tray were a toll bridge and a tall bell tower and his parents told him that the bell in the tower would toll for hours whenever there was a toll, or loss of lives, in the nearby mines.

This entry is located in the following unit: Confusing Words Clarified: Group T; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. + (page 5)