told

Alternative forms

• tol'

Etymology

From Middle English tolde, talde (first and third person singular preterite), from Old English tealde (first and third person singular preterite), from Proto-Germanic *talid-, preterite stem of Proto-Germanic *taljaną (“to count; tell”), equivalent to tell +‎ -ed.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /təʊld/, [ˈtʰɔʊ(ɫ)d], [ˈtʰɒʊ(ɫ)d]
• (General American) enPR: tōld, IPA^(key): /toʊld/

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /tɐʉld/, [tʰɒʊ(ɫ)d]
• Homophone: tolled
• Rhymes: -əʊld

Verb

told

1. simple past and past participle of tell

   A tale is but half told, if only one person tells it.

Anagrams

• dolt

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔl/, [tˢʌlˀ]
• Homophone: tolv

Etymology 1

From Medieval Latin toloneum, an alteration of Latin telōneum.

Etymology 2

From Old Norse þollr (“wood”). Cognates include Swedish tull, Norwegian Nynorsk toll, Dutch dol.