tot
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a very young child who is just learning to walk.
n.a young child, typically one who is just beginning to walk; often used affectionately.
Simple“The playground was full of tiny tots playing in the sand.”
In context“The charity event focused on providing early childhood education for underprivileged tots in the local community.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a small amount of strong alcohol, like rum or whisky.
n.a small measure of spirits, traditionally associated with the daily rum ration in the British Royal Navy.
Simple“He enjoyed a small tot of rum before going to bed.”
In context“Historically, sailors were granted a daily tot of rum, a tradition that was eventually abolished in 1970.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a small, fried piece of grated potato.
n.a small, cylindrical piece of grated and deep-fried potato, typically served as a side dish.
Simple“The kids wanted a side of tots with their burgers.”
In context“The cafeteria served crispy golden tots alongside the main course, much to the delight of the students.”
Synonymspotato gem - 04 C1 Advanced
v.to add up numbers to find the total.
v.to add up or accumulate a total; frequently used with the particle 'up'.
Simple“She had to tot up the receipts to see how much she spent.”
In context“After the market closed, the vendor sat down to tot up his earnings for the week.”
UsageOften used as the phrasal verb 'tot up'.
“Last season, he totted up a Premier League record of 21 assists.”
Borrowed from Scots tot, a shortened form of totum (“small child; tot”), of uncertain origin, perhaps shortened from totter (“to move in an unsteady way”), Compare tottle, also Old Norse tottr (“name of a dwarf”), Swedish tutte (“small child”), Danish tommeltot (“little child”).
Clipping of total (“to sum”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.