Toting

/ˈtoʊtɪŋ/ verb

Definition

Carrying or transporting something, usually something heavy or bulky, from one place to another.

Etymology

From 'tote,' which may come from Swahili 'tota' (to carry), or possibly from a 17th-century English dialect word. American English adopted it widely by the 1800s.

Kelly Says

Nobody's entirely sure where 'tote' came from, but it might be from Swahili—showing how English absorbed words from colonial trade in Africa, which is why we also say 'tote bag' even though 'tote bags' weren't invented until the 1900s!

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