tolbooth

noun

tol·​booth ˈtō(l)-ˌbüth How to pronounce tolbooth (audio)
ˈtäl-,
ˈtȯl-
1
Scotland : a town or market hall
2
Scotland : jail, prison

Examples of tolbooth in a Sentence

Deacon Brodie, thought to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was publicly hung at the site of the old tolbooth of Edinburgh.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tolbothe, tollbothe tollbooth, town hall, jail

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tolbooth was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near tolbooth

Cite this Entry

“Tolbooth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tolbooth. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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