troll

¹ American  

[trohl] / troʊl /

verb (used with object)

1. to fish for or in with a moving line, either working the line up or down with a rod as in fishing for pike, or trailing the line behind a slow-moving boat.

   In September, boat anglers were starting to troll the river for salmon.

2. to move (the line or bait) continuously through the water while fishing, as from a moving boat.

   As his outboard chugged past the island, he trolled his line out fifty or sixty feet behind.

3. to browse through (the internet, a collection, etc.) in search of something.

   She spends her downtime trolling websites for holiday deals.

4. Informal.

   1. to post inflammatory, inappropriate, controversial, or polarizing messages on (the internet) for the purpose of cultivating animosity, upsetting others, or provoking a response.

   2. to upset or provoke (others) by posting such messages.

   3. to make such provocative comments about (others) in public.

      The actress was trolled on late-night TV.

5. to sing or utter in a full, rolling voice.

   Troll the ancient Yuletide carol.

6. to sing in the manner of a round or catch.

7. Archaic. to cause to turn round and round; roll.

8. Obsolete. to hand around, as a bowl of liquor at table.

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verb (used without object)

1. to fish by trolling.

   We spent the day trolling for muskies.

2. to browse through the internet, a collection, etc., in search of something.

   I trolled through my photos for hours to find the best shots of the two of us.

3. Informal.

   1. to post inflammatory, inappropriate, controversial, or polarizing messages online for the purpose of cultivating animosity, upsetting others, or provoking a response.

      He props up his fragile ego by trolling on game sites, putting everybody else down.

   2. to make such provocative comments in public.

4. Archaic. to sing with a full, rolling voice; give forth full, rolling tones.

5. Archaic. to be uttered or sounded in such tones.

6. Archaic. to roll; turn round and round.

7. Archaic. to move nimbly, as the tongue in speaking.

noun

1. the act of trolling for fish.

2. a lure used in trolling for fish.

3. the fishing line containing the lure and hook for use in trolling.

4. Informal.

   1. a person who posts inflammatory, inappropriate, controversial, or polarizing messages online for the purpose of cultivating animosity, upsetting others, or provoking a response.

   2. a person who makes such provocative comments in public.

5. Archaic. a song whose parts are sung in succession; a round.

troll ² American  

[trohl] / troʊl /

noun

1. (in Scandinavian folklore) any of a race of supernatural beings, sometimes conceived as giants and sometimes as dwarfs, inhabiting caves or subterranean dwellings.

2. Slang. a person who lives or sleeps in a park or under a viaduct or bridge, as a derelict or poor person.

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troll ¹ British  

/ trəʊl /

verb

1. angling

   1. to draw (a baited line, etc) through the water, often from a boat

   2. to fish (a stretch of water) by trolling

   3. to fish (for) by trolling

2. to roll or cause to roll

3. archaic to sing (a refrain, chorus, etc) or (of a refrain, etc) to be sung in a loud hearty voice

4. informal (intr) to walk or stroll

5. slang:homosexual (intr) to stroll around looking for sexual partners; cruise

6. slang (intr) computing to post deliberately inflammatory articles on an internet discussion board

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noun

1. the act or an instance of trolling

2. angling a bait or lure used in trolling, such as a spinner

3. slang computing a person who submits deliberately inflammatory articles to an internet discussion

troll ² British  

/ trəʊl /

noun

1. (in Scandinavian folklore) one of a class of supernatural creatures that dwell in caves or mountains and are depicted either as dwarfs or as giants

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Usage

What does troll mean? A troll is someone who harasses other people online to try to get a negative reaction from them. To troll someone is to harass them.The online troll is related to the trolls of legend and fiction, supernatural creatures that live in caves or other underground places. In such stories, trolls are monsters that are unfriendly to humans and sometimes kidnap them. The online sense of troll likens such people to monsters lurking and waiting for the chance to harass others.As a verb, troll also means to fish along a moving line, such as a line that trails behind a moving boat. When you move the fishing line or bait on such a line, that too is to troll.Example: I trolled my fishing line a little and ended up catching a big fish.

Other Word Forms

• troller noun
• untrolled adjective

Etymology

Origin of troll¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English trollen “to roll, stroll,” from Middle French troller “to run here and there, ramble,” from Middle High German trollen “to walk or run with short steps”; troll ¹ defs. 4, 11, 19 are influenced by troll ² ( def. )

Origin of troll²

First recorded in 1610–20; from Old Norse troll “demon, fiend”

Example Sentences

For two years, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson oversaw work on a documentary about a hip-hop rival he has personally trolled on the internet for even longer.

From The Wall Street Journal

The trolls did not spare the bride either, with many suggesting she had married him "for his money".

From BBC

The “Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check” and “Calm Down” rap veteran, 53, sternly set the record straight for the social media troll during an exchange Sunday at Art Basel in Miami Beach.

From Los Angeles Times

Carpenter’s response to her song being used without her consent was met with a trolling retort from the DHS.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms. Ypi writes that she’s at the archives to “rescue” her grandmother “from the trolls.”

From The Wall Street Journal