4 N‑SING The toss is a way of deciding something, such as who is going to go first in a game, that consists of spinning a coin into the air and guessing which side of the coin will face upwards when it lands. □ Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bat first.
5 VERB If something such as the wind or sea tosses an object, it causes it to move from side to side or up and down. [LITERARY ] □ [V n] The seas grew turbulent, tossing the small boat like a cork. □ [be V -ed adv/prep] As the plane was tossed up and down, the pilot tried to stabilise it.
6 VERB If you toss food while preparing it, you put pieces of it into a liquid and lightly shake them so that they become covered with the liquid. □ [V n] Do not toss the salad until you're ready to serve. □ [V n + in ] Add the grated orange rind and toss the apple slices in the mixture. □ [V -ed] Serve straight from the dish with a tossed green salad.
7 → see also toss-up
8 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 tot of 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 totality of 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 parimutuel 2 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.
to|tem /toʊ təm/ (totems )
1 N‑COUNT In some societies, a family's totem is the particular animal, plant, or natural object which they regard as a special symbol and which they believe has spiritual significance.
2 N‑COUNT Something that is a totem of another thing is a symbol of it. [WRITTEN ] □ [+ of ] This opera is one of the cultural totems of Western civilisation.