tot
tot Lexical Profile
tot Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A very young child, especially a toddler.
"The community center offers music classes specifically designed for tots and their parents."
American A small, cylindrical piece of grated and deep-fried potato (short for tater tot).
"She ordered a cheeseburger with a side of crispy tots."
British A small quantity of a strong alcoholic drink, such as rum or whiskey.
"The old sailor poured himself a warming tot of rum before retiring for the night."
• verb
British To add numbers or amounts together to find the total (usually followed by 'up').
"The cashier quickly totted up the cost of the groceries on the receipt."
• Rhymes for tot
Word Origin & Etymology
The sense of a small child or small drink dates to the early 18th century and is likely of Germanic or Scandinavian origin (compare Old Norse tottr, 'dwarf'). The verb meaning 'to add up' emerged in the 18th century as a colloquial shortening of total.