v. Also 6–8 toll-. [f. F. tolérer (15th c. in Godef., Compl.), ad. L. tolerāre to bear, endure: see -ATE3.]
† 1. trans. To endure, sustain (pain or hardship).
1531. Elyot, Gov., III. xiv. To tollerate those thinges whiche do seme bytter or greuous (wherof there be many in the lyfe of man).
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Rich. III., 37. The great dolour and sorowe that you haue suffred and tollerated by the cruel murther of your innocente children.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 39/1. Applye that same as warme as he may or can tollerate it on and rownde about his heade.
1616. Bullokar, Eng. Expos., Tolerate, to indure or suffer.
b. Phys. To endure with impunity or comparative impunity the action of (a poison or strong drug). Cf. TOLERANCE 1 b, TOLERANT c.
1895. in Funk’s Standard Dict.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 932. [Oil of santal wood has] the advantage of being usually well tolerated in reasonable doses by the stomach.
1911. Webster, Tolerate, to endure or resist, esp. without injurious effect, the action of, as a poison.
c. Forestry. Cf. TOLERANCE 1 c, TOLERANT d.
1898. Pinchot, Adirondack Spruce, 20. This ability to tolerate heavy shade is common to large numbers of forest trees, among which both the Beech and the Hard Maple excel the Spruce in this regard.
2. To allow to exist or to be done or practised without authoritative interference or molestation; also gen. to allow, permit.
1533. More, Debell. Salem, Wks. 981/2. He can … be none other rekened but a plaine heretike…, whome to tolerate so long doth sometyme lyttle good.
1586. Ferne, Blaz. Gentrie, 149. This King ordained, that no person … within his dominions, should … tollerate the bearing of these signes vpon armes to any man.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, I. § 4. 7. Marke how farre such sinnes are winked at, or tolerated by Magistrates and Ministers.
1647. Jer. Taylor, Lib. Proph., xvi. 214. The question whether the Prince may tollerate divers perswasions, is no more then whether he may lawfully persecute any man for not being of his opinion.
1651. Baxter, Inf. Bapt., 143. A few of them are in some places tolerated, as Jews and Hereticks are.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., ix. 217. If the expression may be tolerated.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., I. ii. 142. England … was in no humour to tolerate treason.
1884. H. N. Oxenham, Short Stud., 142. To tolerate a religion does not mean to treat it as true,… but simply as having a fair claim to exist and enjoy civil rights.
† b. To allow, permit, suffer to do something.
c. 1585. R. Browne, Answ. Cartwright, 15. Hee alloweth or tollerateth those officers … to haue the power and authoritie.
1635. Quarles, Embl., III. iii. (1718), 137. True Lord; yet tolerate a hungry Whelp To lick their crums.
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 143. Berta the wife of Ethelbert … was tolerated to observe the rites of Christian religion.
1709. Lond. Gaz., No. 4525/3. The Groom-Porter doth hereby declare, that he neither Licenses or Tolerates any person to Game, or keep Gaming-Houses.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, I. II. ii. 111. The highest of the other classes are barely tolerated to read the will of God.
3. To bear without repugnance; to allow intellectually, or in taste, sentiment, or principle; to put up with.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., V. xix. 262. We shall tolerate flying Horses, black Swans, Hydrae’s, Centaur’s, Harpies, and Satyres.
1822. Wordsw., Sonn., Old Abbeys. By discipline of Time made wise, We learn to tolerate the infirmities And faults of others.
1841. Brewster, Mart. Sc., i. (1856), 8. Nor could the Aristotelians tolerate the rebukes of their young instructor.
1875. H. C. Wood, Therap. (1879), 412. Children almost always learn to tolerate the taste of the oil.
1910. Daily News, 9 April, 6. He cannot tolerate Buddhism. I use the word ‘tolerate,’ of course, in an intellectual, not a political, sense.
† 4. To relax. Obs. rare–1.
1579–80. North, Plutarch (1656), 45 (Lycurgus, xxii.). In their time of Warre, they did tolerate [F. ils relaschoyent] their young men a little of their hard and old accustomed life, and suffered them to trim their haires.
Hence Tolerated ppl. a., Tolerating vbl. sb. and ppl. a.; whence Toleratingly adv.
1644. Milton, Judgm. Bucer, xxiv. Wks. 1738, I. 283. For whatsoever is contrary to these, I shall not persuade the least tolerating therof.
1692. Prideaux, Direct. Ch.-wardens (ed. 4), 109. Not Members of some of the said tolerated Assemblies.
1700. in Westm. Gaz., 9 Aug. (1907), 2/3. Notice is given, That the Tollerated Boats bear a Red Flagg in the Stern of each of them.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1733), I. 29. How barbarous … are we tolerating Englishmen.
1724. A. Shields, J. Renwick (1827), 146. All this never moved the tolerated Ministers.
1848. R. I. Wilberforce, Doctr. Incarnation, xi. (1852), 290. Its permission is the main point expressed in the tolerating edict issued by Galerius.
1893. Pall Mall Mag., II. 209. She spoke of his views toleratingly.
1902. C. Lennox, F. Chalmers, v. (1895), 26/1. Tolerated wickedness inevitably cramps the religious consciousness.
