Now dial. Forms: 1 tótian, 3–4 tōten, 4–7 tote, toote, 5– toot. [OE. tótian, a word of single occurrence (see quot. c. 897), of which ME. tōte, toote, and mod. toot are the regular representatives. OE. had also týtan (:—tūtjan) to peep out, become visible, as a star; and ME. had tūten, mod. TOUT v.1 These indicate two synonymous OE. and OTeut. stems, tôt- and tût-, the relation between which is obscure. See Note below.]
1. intr. To protrude, stick out, ‘peep out,’ so as to be seen; in mod. dial., of a plant, to begin to appear above ground.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xvi. 104. Se ceac … oferhelede ða oxan ealle, butan þa heafdu totodun ut.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 425. Wiþ his knopped schon clouted full þykke His ton toteden out as he þe londe treddede.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 9540. He was brochit þurgh the body with a big speire, Þat a trunchyn of þe tre tut out behynd.
1519. Four Elements (1905), 38. Now rise up, Master Huddypeke, Your tail toteth out behind.
1593. [see tooting below].
c. 1645. [see TOTING ppl. a.].
1777. Antiq., in Ann. Reg., 149/2. When pease in Derbyshire first appear they are said to toot.
1808–18. Jamieson, Tute, to jut out, to project. [North of Sc.]
c. 1880. Northampt. Dial., I can just see the taters tooting out of the ground.
2. intr. To peep, peer, look out; to gaze; = TOUT v.1 1.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 52. Is hit nu so ouer vuel uor to toten [MS. T. lokin] utward? Auh toten vt wiðuten vuel ne mei nouðer of ou.
c. 1300. Havelok, 2106. He stod, and totede in at a bord.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVI. 22. Pieres þe plowman … bad me toten on þe tree.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 862. Sho went vp … To the toppe of a toure, & tot ouer the water For to loke on hir luffe.
1529. More, Dyaloge, III. Wks. 225/1. Into the one [wallet] … he putteth other folkes faultes, and therein he toteth and poreth often.
1553. Bradford, Serm. Repent. (1574), D ij b. Get thee Gods law as a glas to toote in.
1603. Sir C. Heydon, Jud. Astrol., iv. 140. While the Astrologer tooteth vpward, and examineth in what signe is the Moone.
1884. Doherty, N. Barlow, iv. 27. Let cheeky folk as come wi’ stools to toot Sit theer an’ stare.
b. To look inquisitively; to pry.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 29. Riht so doth he, whan that he pireth And toteth on hire wommanhiede.
1546. J. Heywood, Prov. (1867), 57. On my maydes he is euer tootyng.
1550. Latimer, Serm. Stamford, I. B ij b. Those obseruauntes were spyinge, totynge, and lookynge, watchynge and catchinge what they myghte heare or se against the sea of Rome.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., March, 66. With bowe and bolts … For birds in bushes tooting.
1593. B. Rich, Greenes Newes, E iij b. One … who was walking by himselfe, prying and tooting in every corner.
1597–8. Bp. Hall, Sat., IV. ii. 45. Nor toot in Cheapside baskets earne and late To set the first tooth in some nouell-cate.
1829. in Hunter, Hallamshire Gloss.
1888. Sheffield Gloss., Toot, to pry into anything.
† c. trans. To peep or look at; to behold, view.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 211. Ech man þe þerto cumeð pleie to toten, oðer to listen, oðer to bihelden.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 142. Whow myȝt-tou in thine broþer eiȝe a bare mote loken, And in þyn owen eiȝe nouȝt a bem toten. Ibid., 219. Þanne turned y aȝen, whan y hade all y-toted.
Hence Tooting ppl. a., in 3 totinde, looking out, peeping, prying, spying; protruding, sprouting.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 50. Vor nabbe ȝe nout bene nome … of totinde ancres.
1593. Tell-troth’s N. Y. Gift (1876), 33. If there be any that hath a tooting head [of ‘horns’], and would not haue it sene, let him keepe it secretely to himselfe.
c. 1645–1676. [see TOTING ppl. a.].
[Note. Words app. connected with OE. tótian, týtan, ME. tōte, tūte, mod. toot, tout, are Du. tuit spout, snout, MDu. tûte nipple, pap, early mod.Du. (Kilian) tote, tuyte horn, apex, cone, also tote nipple, teat, LG. tote point, teat; also MLG. tûte horn, funnel, LG. tûte, tût spout, E.Fris. tûte pipe, spout, snout. Cf. also ON. tûta ‘teat-like prominence’ (Vigf.), tota teat, toe of a shoe, Norw. dial. tota something projecting, as a spout; Da, tud spout of a cask, Sw. tut, mod. Norw. tût also snout, horn; with many other derivatives all pointing to an original sense of something projecting or sticking out. Except Norw. tyte, ‘to trickle or ooze out,’ the verbs appear only in Eng., where also the special sense of ‘look or peep out’ has been developed.]
