The spelling of the word "tod" can be confusing due to the lack of established rules for English phonetics. However, the word is commonly pronounced as /tɒd/ or /tɑd/. This means that the first letter "t" should be pronounced as a voiceless alveolar plosive, followed by the vowel "o" pronounced as a short "o" sound and a final "d" that represents a voiced alveolar plosive sound. Despite its ambiguous spelling, "tod" is a common English word often used as a Scottish slang term for foxes.
Tod is a noun with multiple definitions. One of the primary definitions of tod is a Scottish or Northern English term that refers to a fox in its second year. This yearling fox is usually smaller in size and has undergone its first winter, yet hasn't reached its full maturity. The term tod is derived from the Old English word "todde," which means a bush or a tuft of grass, as foxes were particularly associated with such areas.
The term tod also has another definition in modern usage. In textile and fabric industries, tod refers to a unit of weight used specifically for measuring the weight of wool. A tod is equal to approximately 28 pounds or 12.7 kilograms.
Additionally, tod can be used as a slang term referring to a small amount or quantity of something. This informal usage is more common in British English and is often used to describe a small alcoholic beverage, typically a small serving of beer.
In summary, tod is primarily used to describe a yearling fox in Scottish and Northern English regions. It is also a unit of weight for measuring wool, equivalent to 28 pounds. Additionally, in informal slang, it can refer to a small amount of something, particularly a small alcoholic drink.
A bunch of anything fibrous, as hay; a weight of wool of 28 lb.; in Scot., the fox-probably so called from its bushy tail.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "tod" has multiple meanings and therefore multiple etymologies. Here are a few possibilities:
1. Tod (noun): a unit of weight used for raw wool or other commodities.
- Etymology: This term originated in the late 16th century and is derived from the Old English word "todde", meaning a tuft or lock of wool.
2. Tod (noun): commonly used to refer to a male fox.
- Etymology: The word "tod" originated in the early 17th century, possibly derived from Middle English "todde", coming from the Old English word "tād", which meant a fox.
3. Tod (noun): Scottish dialect for a bush or clump of grass.
- Etymology: This usage is derived from the Middle English word "tod", which meant a tuft or bush.