Standard Lemma guide

tote

noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /təʊt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /toʊt/
  • rhymes with -əʊt
  • CMU ARPABET: T OW1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A tote bag.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A heavy burden.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A kind of plastic box used for transporting goods.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: logistics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The principal handle of a handplane, for gripping the plane.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, carpentry, construction, manufacturing

Examples

  • Coordinate term: knob

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A pari-mutuel machine; a totalizator.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Pari-mutuel betting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, UK

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To carry or bear.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Southern-US

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To add up; to calculate a total.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tote up

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

a capacious bag or basket

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: carryall, holdall, tote bag

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bag

10

verb

Meaning 10

carry with difficulty

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • You'll have to lug this suitcase

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lug, tug

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: transport, carry

History

Etymology

Possibly from Middle Low German tûte, tǖte (“horn, conical paper bag”), whence also German Tute (“horn, bugle”) and German Tüte (“bag, paper bag”). Compare also Scots tout (“drinking vessel”), Saterland Frisian Tüütje (“paper bag”), West Frisian tút (“spout, toot, kiss”), Dutch tuit (“horn, spout, nozzle”), Danish tud (“spout, nozzle”), Faroese strútur (“spout”), Icelandic stútur (“spout”), Norwegian and Swedish tut (“spout”), Old Norse tútna (“to be blown up”). Possibly ultimately from Proto-Germanic *tut(t)- (“to stick out, protrude”). Alternatively, from a Bantu language; compare Kongo tota (“to pick up”), Kimbundu tuta (“to carry, load”), Swahili tuta (“to pile, carry”).

Clipping of totalizator.

Clipping of total, with e to distinguish from tot in writing.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: пазарска чанта (pazarska čanta) — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Chinese Mandarin: 托特包 — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Czech: taška — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Danish: pose — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Danish: indkøbspose — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Danish: stofpose — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Dutch: tas — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Dutch: zak — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Finnish: kassi — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Finnish: pussi — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • French: tote bag — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • German: Tragetasche — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • German: Einkaufstasche — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Indonesian: tas jinjing — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Malay: beg jinjing — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Polish: torba na ramię — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Portuguese: sacola — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Russian: су́мка (súmka) — tote bag — see also tote bag
  • Bulgarian: товар (tovar) — heavy burden
  • Dutch: last — heavy burden
  • Finnish: taakka — heavy burden
  • German: Last — heavy burden
  • Polish: brzemię — heavy burden
  • Portuguese: carga pesada — heavy burden
  • Russian: но́ша (nóša) — heavy burden
  • Russian: груз (gruz) — heavy burden
  • Polish: plastikowe pudełko — plastic box
  • Spanish: caja plástica — plastic box
  • Finnish: toto-kone — totalizator
  • Finnish: totalisaattorilaite — totalizator
  • German: Totalisator — totalizator
  • Polish: totalizator — totalizator
  • Bulgarian: мъкна (mǎkna) — carry or bear
  • Bulgarian: влача (vlača) — carry or bear
  • Catalan: carregar — carry or bear
  • Czech: nosit — carry or bear
  • Czech: nést — carry or bear
  • Dutch: torsen — carry or bear
  • Finnish: kantaa — carry or bear
  • German: tragen — carry or bear
  • Polish: dźwigać — carry or bear
  • Polish: tachać — carry or bear
  • Polish: taszczyć — carry or bear
  • Portuguese: carregar — carry or bear
  • Ukrainian: нести́ (nestý) — carry or bear
  • Ukrainian: носи́ти (nosýty) — carry or bear
  • Bulgarian: сумирам (sumiram) — add up
  • Dutch: samentellen — add up
  • Finnish: laskea yhteen — add up
  • German: zusammenzählen — add up
  • German: summieren — add up
  • Polish: sumować — add up
  • Spanish: sumar — add up