Also 6 tute, 6–7 tote, toote; 6 towt, 6, 7–9 Sc. tout. [Known only from c. 1510. Cf. MLG., LG. tûten, also Ger. tuten, Du. tuyten, toeten to blow a horn; perh. originally echoic, imitating the sound of a horn, etc. Not related to ON. þjóta to blow a horn, whistle (see THEOTEN, in Ormin þūtenn, to howl); the Norw. tûta, Sw. tūta, Da. tūde, in same sense, are perh. influenced by LG., whence also the Eng. may have been taken.]
I. intr. 1. Of a person: To sound or blow a horn or similar wind instrument. Also with extensions, to toot it, to toot on, along, one’s way, etc.
1549. Chaloner, trans. Erasmus’ Moriæ Enc., H j b. That foule musike, whiche a horne maketh, being touted in.
1570. Levins, Manip., 196/4. To Tute in a horne, cornucinère.
1693. J. H., trans. Juvenal’s Sat., x. 4. See here a Troop of Horn-pipes toot along.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 108. Tooting with their Trumpets, and beating with their Drums.
1707. E. Ward, Hud. Rediv., II. VI. vi. 7. These led the Van, each crown’d with Feather Tooting harmoniously together.
1709. Mrs. Manley, Secret Mem., I. 149. A great many of ’em … can toot, toot, toot, it upon a Pipe.
1880. Spurgeon, J. Ploughm. Pict., 29. We can all toot a little on our own trumpet.
1903. Daily Chron., 11 Nov., 4/5. The motor-car … tooting its way through London.
2. Of a wind-instrument: To give forth its characteristic sound; to sound.
c. 1510. Kalender of Sheph., li. M vij b. Take hede of my horne, totynge al alowde.
1595. Morley, 1st Bk. Ballets, xi. C iij b. while as the Bagpipe tooted it.
a. 1800. Lord Barnaby, xiii., in Child, Ballads, II. 250/2. O lady, I heard a wee horn toot, And it blew wonder clear.
1894. Daily News, 12 March, 2/1. The guard’s long tapering horn never toots more merrily.
3. Of an animal: To make a sound likened to that of a horn, etc.; to trumpet as an elephant, bray as an ass; spec. of grouse, to ‘call.’
1817. Cobbett, Wks., XXXII. 10. The trick answered very well ’till the Ass began to bray, or toot.
a. 1835. Hogg, Ringan & May, 39. The storm-cock touts on his towering pine.
1877. Hallock, Sportsman’s Gazetteer, 119. The ‘tooting’ is the call of the male bird. Ibid., 124. The (pinnated) Grouse in the spring commences about April to ‘toot,’ and can be heard nearly a mile.
1890. Century Mag., Feb., 613/1. The elephants … raised their trunks, and tooted as no locomotive could toot.
b. Said of a person, esp. a child: see quots.
1808–18. Jamieson, Toot, to make a plaintive noise, as when a child cries loud or mournfully.
1847–78. Halliwell, Toot, to whine or cry.
II. trans. 4. To cause (a horn, etc.) to sound by blowing it. Also transf. of an animal.
1682. Fountainhall, Decis. (1759), I. 182. Suffering Brown then preaching and praying, to be affronted by boys, who touted horns.
1841. Faraday, in B. Jones, Life (1870), II. 131. At the call of the goat-herd, who tooted a cow’s horn.
1890. Century Mag., Feb., 613/2. The elephant … tooting his trumpet as though in great fright.
1899. Daily Graphic, 19 Aug., 7. The Monmouth’s whistle was tooted vigorously, and the passengers crowded her rail.
5. To sound (notes, a tune, etc.) on a horn, pipe, or the like.
1614. W. Browne, Sheph. Pipe, II. C vij b. He … That sits on yonder hill, And tooteth out his notes of glee.
c. 1662. F. Sempill, On Birth Princess Mary. But let those brosie pack tout on … They’ll tout anuther tune I true.
1842. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. II. St. Aloys. With eight Trumpeters tooting the Dead March in Saul.
6. To call out aloud, to shout (something).
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, IV. (Arb.), 107. In this eare hee towted thee speeche.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, II. xx. 143. They to toote, Draw, give (page) some wine here reach hither.
1756. Mrs. Calderwood, in Coltness Collect. (Maitl. Club), 249. You will see them [beggars] standing at a door, and touting a Pater noster through the key-hole.
b. To proclaim loudly; to trumpet abroad. Sc.
a. 1810. Tannahill, Poems (1846), 57. Ilk rising generation toots his fame, And hun’er years to come, ’twill be the same.
1887. Service, Dr. Duguid, III. iv. 258. There were plenty to carry the news…. It was tootit owre a’ the kintra-side.
Hence Tooting ppl. a., that toots, as a horn, siren, etc.
1652. Benlowes, Theoph., XI. xxx. Still to have toting Waits unseal thine eyes.
1668. Shadwell, Sullen Lovers, I. i. Those rogues that … upon their toting instruments make a more hellish noise than they do at a play-house.
1909. Daily Chron., 16 Sept., 1/1. No tooting whistles signalled our departure.
