PHRASE
If you say that someone
argues the toss
, you are criticizing them for continuing to argue for longer than is necessary about something that is not very important. [BRIT
, DISAPPROVAL
] □ [+ about
]
They were still arguing the toss about the first goal.
9
PHRASE
If you say that you do not
give a toss
about someone or something, you are emphasizing that you do not care about them at all. [BRIT
, INFORMAL
, EMPHASIS
] □ [+ about
]
Well, who gives a toss about sophistication anyway?
10
PHRASE
If you
toss and turn
, you keep moving around in bed and cannot sleep properly, for example because you are ill or worried.
to
ss-up
(
toss-ups
) N‑COUNT
If you say that it is a
toss-up
whether one thing will happen or another thing will happen, you mean that either result seems equally likely. □
It's a toss-up whether oil prices will go up or down over the days ahead.
[Also + between
]
tot
/tɒ
t/ (tots
, totting
, totted
)
1
N‑COUNT
A
tot
is a very young child. [INFORMAL
]
2
N‑COUNT
A
totof
a strong alcoholic drink such as whisky or brandy is a small amount of it in a glass. [mainly BRIT
]
▸
tot up
PHRASAL VERB
To
tot up
a total or a list of numbers means to add up several numbers in order to reach a total. [mainly BRIT
] □ [V
P
n + of
, V
P
n]
I finally sat down to tot up the full extent of my debt.
[Also V
n P
]
to|tal
◆◆◆ /toʊ
t
ə
l/ (totals
, totalling
, totalled
)
1
N‑COUNT
A
total
is the number that you get when you add several numbers together or when you count how many things there are in a group. □ [+ of
]
The companies have a total of 1,776 employees.
2
ADJ
[ADJ
n] The
total
number or cost of something is the number or cost that you get when you add together or count all the parts in it. □
The total cost of the project would be more than $240 million.
3
PHRASE
If there are a number of things
in total
, there are that number when you count or add them all together. □
I was with my partner for eight years in total.
4
VERB
If several numbers or things
total
a certain figure, that figure is the total of all the numbers or all the things. □ [V
amount]
The unit's exports will total $85 million this year.
5
VERB
When you
total
a set of numbers or objects, you add them all together. □ [V
n]
They haven't totalled the exact figures.
6
ADJ
[usu ADJ
n] You can use
total
to emphasize that something is as great in extent, degree, or amount as it possibly can be. [EMPHASIS
] □
Why should we trust a total stranger?
●
to|tal|ly
ADV
[ADV
adj/adv, ADV
with v] □
Young people want something totally different from the old ways.
to|tali|tar|ian
/toʊ
tæl
I
teə
riən/ ADJ
A
totalitarian
political system is one in which there is only one political party which controls everything and does not allow any opposition parties. [DISAPPROVAL
]
to|tali|tari|an|ism
/toʊ
tæl
I
teə
riən
I
zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT
Totalitarianism
is the ideas, principles, and practices of totalitarian political systems.
to|tal|ity
/toʊtæ
l
I
ti/ N‑UNCOUNT
The
totalityof
something is the whole of it. [FORMAL
] □ [+ of
]
…a process of change which involves the totality of human experience.
to
|tal qua
l|ity ma
n|age|ment
N‑UNCOUNT
Total quality management
is a set of management principles aimed at improving performance throughout a company, especially by involving employees in decision-making. The abbreviation
TQM
is also used. [BUSINESS
] □
He is a firm believer in total quality management.
tote
/toʊ
t/ (totes
, toting
, toted
)
1
N‑SING
The Tote
is a system of betting money on horses in races. [BRIT
]
in AM, use parimutuel2
VERB
To
tote
something, especially a gun, means to carry it with you in such a way that people can see it. [JOURNALISM
] □ [V
n]
The demonstrators fled when soldiers toting machine guns advanced on the crowd.
●
-toting
COMB
□
They are too frightened to speak out against the gun-toting thugs.