tolerate, v.
(ˈtɒləreɪt)
Also 6–8 toll-.
[f. F. tolérer (15th c. in Godef. Compl.), ad. L. tolerāre to bear, endure: see -ate3.]
† 1. trans. To endure, sustain (pain or hardship).
| 1531 Elyot Gov. iii. xiv, To tollerate those thinges whiche do seme bytter or greuous (wherof there be many in the lyfe of man). a 1548 Hall Chron., Rich. III 37 The great dolour and sorowe that you haue suffred and tollerated by the cruel murther of your innocente children. 1599 A. M. tr. Gabelhouer's Bk. Physicke 39/1 Applye that same as warme as he may or can tollerate it on and rownde about his heade. 1616 Bullokar Eng. Expos., Tolerate, to indure or suffer. |
b. Phys. To endure with impunity or comparative impunity the action of (a poison or strong drug). Cf. tolerance n. 1 b, tolerant a. c.
| 1895 in Funk's Standard Dict. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 932 [Oil of santal wood has] the advantage of being usually well tolerated in reasonable doses by the stomach. 1911 Webster, Tolerate, to endure or resist, esp. without injurious effect, the action of, as a poison. |
c. Forestry. Cf. tolerance n. 1 c, tolerant a. d.
| 1898 Pinchot Adirondack Spruce 20 This ability to tolerate heavy shade is common to large numbers of forest trees, among which both the Beech and the Hard Maple excel the Spruce in this regard. |
2. To allow to exist or to be done or practised without authoritative interference or molestation; also gen. to allow, permit.
| 1533 More Debell. Salem Wks. 981/2 He can..be none other rekened but a plaine heretike.., whome to tolerate so long doth sometyme lyttle good. 1586 J. Ferne Blaz. Gentrie 149 This King ordained, that no person..within his dominions, should..tollerate the bearing of these signes vpon armes to any man. 1631 Gouge God's Arrows i. §4. 7 Marke how farre such sinnes are winked at, or tolerated by Magistrates and Ministers. 1647 Jer. Taylor Lib. Proph. xvi. 214 The question whether the Prince may tollerate divers perswasions, is no more than whether he may lawfully persecute any man for not being of his opinion. 1651 Baxter Inf. Bapt. 143 A few of them are in some places tolerated, as Jews and Hereticks are. 1722 Wollaston Relig. Nat. ix. 217 If the expression may be tolerated. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. I. ii. 142 England..was in no humour to tolerate treason. 1884 H. N. Oxenham Short Stud. 142 To tolerate a religion does not mean to treat it as true,..but simply as having a fair claim to exist and enjoy civil rights. |
† b. To allow, permit, suffer to do something.
| c 1585 R. Browne Answ. Cartwright 15 Hee alloweth or tollerateth those officers..to haue the power and authoritie. 1635 Quarles Embl. iii. iii. (1718) 137 True Lord; yet tolerate a hungry Whelp To lick their crums. 1660 R. Coke Power & Subj. 143 Berta the wife of Ethelbert..was tolerated to observe the rites of Christian religion. 1709 Lond. Gaz. No. 4525/3 The Groom-Porter doth hereby declare, that he neither Licenses or Tolerates any Person to Game, or keep Gaming-Houses. 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. India I. ii. ii. 111 The highest of the other classes are barely tolerated to read the will of God. |
3. To bear without repugnance; to allow intellectually, or in taste, sentiment, or principle; to put up with.
| 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. v. xix. 262 We shall tolerate flying Horses, black Swans, Hydrae's, Centaur's, Harpies, and Satyres. 1822 Wordsw. Sonn., Old Abbeys, By discipline of Time made wise, We learn to tolerate the infirmities And faults of others. 1841 Brewster Mart. Sc. i. (1856) 8 Nor could the Aristotelians tolerate the rebukes of their young instructor. 1875 H. C. Wood Therap. (1879) 412 Children almost always learn to tolerate the taste of the oil. 1910 Daily News 9 Apr. 6 He cannot tolerate Buddhism. I use the word ‘tolerate’, of course, in an intellectual, not a political, sense. |
† 4. To relax. Obs. rare—1.
| 1579–80 North Plutarch (1656) 45 (Lycurgus xxii) In their time of Warre, they did tolerate [F. ils relaschoyent] their young men a little of their hard and old accustomed life, and suffered them to trim their haires. |
Hence ˈtolerated ppl. a., ˈtolerating vbl. n. and ppl. a.; whence ˈtoleˌratingly adv.
| 1644 Milton Judgm. Bucer xxiv. Wks. 1738 I. 283 For whatsoever is contrary to these, I shall not persuade the least tolerating therof. 1692 Prideaux Direct. Ch.-wardens (ed. 4) 109 Not Members of some of the said tolerated Assemblies. 1700 in Westm. Gaz. 9 Aug. (1907) 2/3 Notice is given, That the Tollerated Boats bear a Red Flagg in the Stern of each of them. 1711 Shaftesbury Charac. (1733) I. 29 How barbarous..are we tolerating Englishmen. 1724 A. Shields J. Renwick (1827) 146 All this never moved the tolerated Ministers. 1848 R. I. Wilberforce Doctr. Incarnation xi. (1852) 290 Its permission is the main point expressed in the tolerating edict issued by Galerius. 1893 Pall Mall Mag. II. 209 She spoke of his views toleratingly. 1902 C. Lennox J. Chalmers v. (1895) 26/1 Tolerated wickedness inevitably cramps the religious consciousness. |