Emily Dickinson Lexicon

TOW'ER-ING, ppr.

1. Rising aloft; mounting high; soaring.
2. adj. Very high; elevated; as, a towering highth.

TOW'ER-MUS-TARD, n. [tower and mustard.]

A plant of the genus Turritis. Lee.

TOW'ER-Y, a.

Having towers; adorned or defended by towers; as, towery cities. Pope.

TOW-ING, ppr.

Drawing on water, as a boat.

TO-WIT, v.

To know; namely.

TOW-LINE, n. [tow and line.]

A small hawser, used to tow a ship, &c.

TOWN, n. [Sax. tun; W. din, dinas, a fortified hill, a fort; Gaelic, dun; Sax. dun, dune, a hill, whence downs. The Sax. tun signifies an inclosure, a garden, a village, a town, and tynan is to shut, to make fast; G. zaun, a hedge; D. tun, a garden. If the original word signified a hill, the sense is a mass or collection. But probably the original word signified fortified, and the rude fortifications of uncivilized men were formed with hedges and stakes; hence also a garden. See Garden and Tun. Sax. leactune, a garden, that is, leek-town, an inclosure for leeks, that is plants. This shows that the primary sense of town is an inclosure for defense.]

1. Originally, a walled or fortified place; a collection of houses inclosed with walls, hedges, or pickets for safety. Rahab's house was on the town wall. Josh. ii. A town that hath gates and bars. 1 Sam. xxiii.
2. Any collection of houses, larger than a village. In this use the word is very indefinite, and a town may consist of twenty houses, or of twenty thousand.
3. In England, any number of houses to which belongs a regular market, and which is not a city or the see of a bishop. Johnson. A town, in modern times, is generally without walls, which is the circumstance that usually distinguishes it from a city. Cyc. In the United States, the circumstance that distinguishes a town from a city, is, generally, that a city is incorporated with special privileges, and a town is not. But a city is often called a town.
4. The inhabitants of a town. The town voted to send two representatives to the legislature, or they voted to lay a tax for repairing the highways. New England. Chapman.
5. In popular usage, in America, a township; the whole territory within certain limits.
6. In England, the court end of London. Pope.
7. The inhabitants of the metropolis. Pope.
8. The metropolis. The gentleman lives in town in winter; in summer he lives in the country. The same form of expression is used in regard to other populous towns.

TOWN'-CLERK, n. [town and clerk.]

An officer who keeps the records of a town, and enters all its official proceedings.

TOWN-CRI'ER, n. [town and cry.]

A public crier; one who makes proclamation. Shak.

TOWN'-HOUSE, n. [town and house.]

1. The house where the public business of the town is transacted by the inhabitants, in legal meeting. New England.
2. A house in town; in opposition to a house in the country.

TOWN'ISH, a.

Pertaining to the inhabitants of a town; like the town.

TOWN'LESS, a.

Having no town. Howell.

TOWN'SHIP, n.

The district or territory of a town. In New England, the states are divided into townships of five, six, seven, or perhaps ten miles stature, and the inhabitants of such townships are invested with certain powers for regulating their own affairs, such as repairing roads, providing for the poor, &c.

TOWNS'MAN, n. [town and man.]

1. An inhabitant of a place; or one of the same town with another.
2. A selectman; an officer of the town in New England, who assists in managing the affairs of the town. [See selectmen.]

TOWN'-TALK, n. [town and talk.]

The common talk of a place, or the subject of common conversation.

TOW-PATH, or TOW-ING-PATH, n.

A path used by men or horses that tow boats.

TOW-ROPE, n. [tow und rope.]

Any rope used in towing ships or boats. Mar. Dict.

TOWS'ER, n. [from touse.]

The name of a dog.

TOX'IC-AL, a. [Gr. τοξικον.]

Poisonous. [Little used.]

TOX-I-CO-LOG'IC-AL, a.

Pertaining to toxicology.

TOX-I-CO-LOG'IC-AL-LY, adv.

In a toxicological manner.

TOX-I-COL'O-GIST, n.

One who treats of poisons.

TOX-I-COL'O-GY, n. [Gr. τοξικον, pertaining to an arrow; and as arrows were frequently poisoned, hence a poison; and λογος, a treatise.]

That branch of medicine which treats of the morbid and deleterious effects of excessive and inordinate doses and quantities of medicines, commonly called poisoning.

TOX-OPH'O-LITE, n. [Gr. τοξον, a bow, or an arrow.]

A fossil organic remain.

TOY, n. [Qu. D. tooi, tire, ornament.]

1. A plaything for children; a bawble.
2. A trifle; a thing for amusement, but of no real value.
3. An article of trade of little value. They exchange gold and pearl for toys. Abbot.
4. Matter of no importance. Nor light and idle toys my lines may vainly swell. Drayton.
5. Folly; trifling practice; silly opinion.
6. Amorous dalliance; play; sport. Milton.
7. An old story; a silly tale. Shak.
8. Slight representation; as, the toy of novelty. Hooker.
9. Wild fancy; odd conceit. Shak.