tollie, noun

/ˈtɔli/
Forms:
Also tolly.
Origin:
Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZuluShow more Afrikaans, from isiXhosa and isiZulu ithole a (male or female) calf of a certain age, usually one which has started developing horns or which has a younger sibling.
a. A young ox. b. A young bull-calf. Also attributive.
1900 Grocott’s Penny Mail 2 July 1 (advt)24 Tollies.
c1911 S. Playne Cape Col. 211Tollies of nine months command a ready sale.
1916 Farmer’s Weekly 20 Dec. 1451Slaughter Oxen, Bulls, Cows, Heifers, and Tollies for sale.
1937 S. Cloete Turning Wheels 64I am tired of being played with like a tollie at the end of a rein running round and round.
1947 F.C. Slater Sel. Poems 26Tollie = a steer: a South African word derived from etola (Xhosa) = a calf.
1964 V. Pohl Dawn & After 58It was the sight of Eric driving along a young bull calf, or tolly..which he had trained to pull a small sledge.
1970 J. Woodin Informant, Cape Town, Western CapeTollie. A young steer (Xhosa).
1971 Evening Post 27 Feb. 21 (advt)12 Mateable Hereford Type Heifers; 33 Hereford X Type Tollies, 12–16 months old.
1971 Grocott’s Mail 16 Apr. 1Anyone requiring well-bred Tollies and Heifers should not miss this sale.
1971 Grocott’s Mail 26 Nov. 1Dark Brown Bull Tollie.
1973 E. Prov. Herald 11 Apr. (advt)Annual tollie and breeding stock sale will be held in Adelaide.
1980 Daily Dispatch 26 Sept. 16A neighbour and friend wanted to sell him a number of young tollies at R50 each at a time when cattle prices were at a low level.
1987 M. Poland Train to Doringbult 109She ran as wild as a tollie on the hills.
1994 Grocott’s Mail 21 Oct. 8Oxen & young cattle, Quality Tollies & Heifers, Store Cattle and Trade heifers. The cattle run on virulent Redwater Heartwater veld.
A young ox.
A young bull-calf. Also attributive.
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Afrikaans
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tolbos, nounn.tolofiya, nounn.
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