52 
TOW 
or new diversion just come to town Law. —It is used em¬ 
phatically for the capital: as he lives six months in town, 
and six' in the country. 
TO'WNCLERK, 5 . An officer who manages the public 
business of a place.—The townclerk appeased the people. 
Acts. 
TO'WNCRIER, s. An officer in a town, whose business 
is to make proclamations.—Speak thy speech trippingly on 
the tongue: but if you mouth it, as many of our players 
do, I had as lieve the town-crier had spoke the lines, 
Shakspeare. 
TOWNIIO'USE, s. The hall where public business is 
transacted.—A townhouse built at one end will front the 
church that stands at the other. Addison.—-A house in op¬ 
position to a house in the country, where a person has both. 
TO'WNISH, adj. Appertaining to those who live in a 
town. 
On townish men, (though happy they 
Appeare to open sight,) 
Yet many times unhappie haps 
And cruel chances light. Turiervile. 
TO'WNLESS, adj. Without towns; deprived of towns. 
—They of the religion are now townless and armless; and 
so are her greatest peers, most of them out of office, and 
provincial command. Howell. 
TOWNSHEND, a post township of the United States, in 
Middlesex county, Massachusetts; 44 miles north-west of 
Boston. Population 1246. 
TOWNSHEND, a post township of the United States, in 
Windham county, Vermont; 40 miles south-south-west of 
Windsor. Population 1115. 
TOWNSHEND, Cape, a cape on the north-east coast of 
New Holland. Lat. 22. 15. S. long. 209. 43. W. 
TOWNSHEND ISLAND, an island on the east coast of 
New Holland. Lat. 22. 13. S. long, of the cape, 159. 
29. E. 
TOWNSHEND, Point, a cape on the south-east coast 
of Admiralty island, in the north Pacific ocean. Lat. 
57. 7. N. long. 225. 57. E. 
TOWNSHIP, s. The corporation of a town ; the district 
belonging to a town.—I am but a poor petitioner of our 
whole township. Sha/cspeare. 
TOWNSMAN, s. An inhabitant of a place. 
Here come the townsmen in procession. 
Before your highness to present the man. Sha/cspeare. 
One of the same town. 
TOWNSTALL, a parish of England, in Devonshire, 
near Dartmouth. Its church is situated on a hill, and has 
a tower 69 feet high, which serves as a landmark at sea. 
Population 987. 
TOWNTA'LIC, s. Common prattle of a place.—If 
you tell the secret, in twelve hours it shall be towntalk. 
L’ Estrange. 
TOWNTOP, s. A large top. Formerly one of these 
was kept in every village, to be whipped in frosty weather, 
that the peasants might be kept warm by exercise, and out 
of mischief, while they could not work. Steevens.—It is 
now a term only among hoys. —To sleep like a towntop, is 
a proverbial expression : a top is said to sleep, when it turns 
round with great velocity, and makes a smooth humming 
noise. B/ackstone. 
TOWTHORPE, or Toulthorpe, a township of Eng¬ 
land, East Riding of Yorkshire; 9| miles west-north-west 
of Great Driffield.—A township in the North Riding of the 
same county ; 5 miles north-by-east of York. 
TOWTON, a village of England, in the West Riding of 
Yorkshire; 3 miles south-east of Tadcaster. It is famous 
for a sanguinary battle fought here between the forces of 
the houses of York and Lancaster, on Palm Sunday, 1461. 
The Yorkists gained a complete victory; and 36,000 men, of 
whom nine were noblemen, besides many knights and 
esquires, fell in the battle and in the pursuit. 
TOWYN, a parish of Wales in the county of Merioneth, 
TOY 
situated on the river Towynmy ; 11 miles from Barmouth, 
and 2171 from London. Population 1941. 
TOWYNMY, a river of Wales, in Montgomeryshire, 
which runs into the Dowy; 5 miles north-east of Machynleth. 
TO'XlCAL, adj. [toxicum, Lat.] Poisonous; containing 
poison. 
TOXOT2E [Tofo7ai, Gr.], among the Athenians, bow¬ 
men, a sort of inferior officers, or rather servants, who at¬ 
tended the lexiarchi. They were much like the Roman lie- 
tors : there were a thousand of them in the city of Athens, 
that lived in tents, erected first in the forum and afterwards 
in the areopagus. 
TOXTETLI PARK, a township of England, in Lanca¬ 
shire; 3 miles south-east of Liverpool. Population 5864. 
TOY, s. \toyen, tooghen, to dress with many ornaments, 
Dutch.] A petty commodity; a trifle; a thing of no value; 
Because of old 
Thou thyself cloat’dst on womankind, admiring 
Their shape, their colour, and attractive grace: 
None are, thou think’st, but taken with such toys. Milton. 
A plaything; a bauble.—What a profusion of wealth laid 
out in coaches, trappings, tables, cabinets, and the like 
precious toys. Addison. —Matter of no importance. 
’Tis a cockle or a walnut shell, 
A knack, a toy, a trick, a baby's cap. Shakspeare. 
Folly; trifling practice; silly opinion.—The things which 
so long experience of all ages hath confirmed and made 
profitable, let us not presume to condemn as follies and toys, 
because we sometimes know not the cause and reason of 
them. Hooker. —Play; sport; amorous dalliance. 
So said he, and forbore not glance or toy 
Of amorous intent. Milton. 
Odd story; silly tale, 
I never may believe 
These antic fables, nor these fairy toys. Shakspeare. 
Slight representation.—Shall that which hath always re¬ 
ceived this construction, be now disguised with a toy of 
novelty ? Hooker. —Wild fancy; irregular imagery; odd 
conceit. 
The very place puts toys of desperation. 
Without more motive, into every brain, 
That looks so many fathoms to the sea. 
And hears it roar beneath. Shakspeare. 
To TOY, v. ?i. To trifle; to dally amorously; to play. 
—To toy, to wanton, dally, smile and jest. Shakspeare. 
To TOY, v. a. To treat foolishly.—They must have 
oyle, candels, wine and water, flowre, and such other things, 
trifled and toyed withal. Dering. 
TO'YER, s. One who toys; one who is full of tricks. 
Wanton Cupid, idle toyer, 
Pleasing tyrant, soft destroyer ! Harrison. 
TO'YFUL, adj. Full of tricks.—It quicken’d next a 
toyful ape. Donne. 
TO'YISH, adj. Trifling; wanton.—Your ringing of 
bells, your burning of lights in the open daylight, with 
I wot not how many other toyish devices. Crowley. 
TOYISHNESS, s. Nugacity; wantonness.—Your society 
will discredit that toyishness of wanton fancy, that plays 
tricks with words, and frolics with the caprices of frothy 
imagination. G/anville. 
TOYMAN, s. A seller of toys. 
But what in oddness can be more sublime. 
Than S-, the foremost toyman of his time ? Young. 
TOYNTON, High and Low, adjoining parishes of Eng¬ 
land, in Lincolnshire; 2 miles east of Horncastle. 
TOYNTON, All Saints, and St. Peter’s, adjoining 
parishes in the above county; 2| miles south of Spilsby. 
TOYSHOP, s. A shop where playthings and little nice 
manufactures are sold.—Fans, silks, ribbands, laces, and 
gewgaws. 
