Forms: 6 toyll(e, (tull, tole), 6–7 toyle, 6–8 toyl, toile, 6– toil. [a. OF. teile, toile (11th c. in Godef., Compl.), mod.F. toile cloth, web, etc.:—L. tēla web; F. pl. toiles ‘large pieces of cloth bordered with thick ropes, stretched round an enclosure, for the purpose of capturing wild beasts; also, large nets stretched to take stags and other deer’ (Littré).]
1. A net or nets set so as to enclose a space into which the quarry is driven, or within which the game is known to be. In later use usually pl.
sing. a. 1529. Skelton, How the douty Dk. of Albany, 269. About hym a parke Of a madde warke, Men call it a toyle.
1530. Palsgr., 281/2. Toyll for a prince to hunt with, toille.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1120/2. A generall hunting with a toile raised of foure or fiue miles in length, so that manie a deere that day was brought to the quarrie.
a. 1667. Cowley, Agric., Wks. 1710, II. 722. He drives into a Toil the foaming Boar.
1827. D. Johnson, Ind. Field Sports, 18. The sudden jerk occasioned by an animal rushing at speed against the toil.
pl. 1530. Palsgr., 711/2. I sette, as a hunter setteth his hayes, or his toylles, or any other thinges to take wylde beestes with.
1554. in Kempe, Losely MSS. (1836), 97. Yt hathe pleased the Quenes matle … to take yor Accompt for the Revelles, Tentes, and Toyles.
1611. Cotgr., Toiles, toyles; or a Hay to inclose, or intangle, wild beasts in.
1707. Lond. Gaz., No. 4358/3. The Toiles are already set round a large Lake.
1726. Arbuthnot, It cannot rain but it pours, Swift’s Wks. 1755, III. I. 132. The wonderful Wild Man that was nursed in the woods of Germany by a wild beast, hunted and taken in toyls.
1852. Miss Yonge, Cameos, I. xxv. 200. His men-at-arms may come and catch me like a fox in the toils.
† 2. A trap or snare for wild beasts. Obs. rare.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 574. The manner of taking of Wolfs … an Iron toil which they still fasten in the earth with Iron pins.
a. 1629. Hinde, J. Bruen, x. (1641), 34. It is lawfull … to set Toyles for Foxes.
1727. Gay, Fables, I. xxi. 21. Again he sets the poison’d toils.
3. fig. or in fig. context (sing. and pl.).
sing. a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Rich. III., 56. Let vs not feare to enter in to the toyle where we may suerly sley hym.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., V. ii. 351. As she would catch another Anthony In her strong toyle of Grace.
1671. Milton, P. R., II. 453. Extol not Riches then, the toyl of Fools.
1718. Rowe, trans. Lucan, I. 168. Who hope to share the spoil, And hold the World within on common toil.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), VIII. 258. The spider’s … next care is to seize and secure whatever insect happens to be caught in the toil.
pl. c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Ps. CXLII. i. Lord, thou … knowst each path where stick the toyls of danger.
1648. Herrick, Hesper., Disswasions fr. Idlenesse. Armes and hands … Are but toiles or manicles.
a. 1704. T. Brown, On Beauties, Wks. 1730, I. 42. Each fair enchanter sets Toyles for my heart.
1738. Wesley, Ps. LVII. iii. While in the Toils of Hell I lie.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., II. xxviii. Themselves in bloody toils were snared.
4. attrib. and Comb., as † toil-house, a building in which toils and other hunting equipments were housed; so † toil-yard.
1558. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 48. One greate house called the Toyle house … with a Toyle yerde.
