trolley

American  

[trol-ee] / ˈtrɒl i /

Sometimes trolly

noun

plural

trolleys

1. trolley car.

2. a pulley or truck traveling on an overhead track and serving to support and move a suspended object.

3. a grooved metallic wheel or pulley carried on the end of a pole trolley pole by an electric car or locomotive, and held in contact with an overhead conductor, usually a suspended wire trolley wire, from which it collects the current for the propulsion of the car or locomotive.

4. any of various devices for collecting current for such a purpose, as a pantograph, or a bowlike structure bow trolley sliding along an overhead wire, or a device underground trolley for taking current from the underground wire or conductor used by some electric railways.

5. a small truck or car operated on a track, as in a mine or factory.

6. a serving cart, as one used to serve desserts.

7. Chiefly British. any of various low carts or vehicles, as a railway handcar or costermonger's cart.

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verb (used with or without object)

trolleyed, trolleying

1. to convey or go by trolley.

idioms

1. off one's trolley,

   1. in a confused mental state.

   2. insane.

      He's been off his trolley for years, but his family refuses to have him committed.

trolley British  

/ ˈtrɒlɪ /

noun

1. a small table on casters used for conveying food, drink, etc

2. a wheeled cart or stand pushed by hand and used for moving heavy items, such as shopping in a supermarket or luggage at a railway station

3. (in a hospital) a bed mounted on casters and used for moving patients who are unconscious, immobilized, etc

4. See trolleybus

5. See trolley car

6. a device that collects the current from an overhead wire ( trolley wire ), third rail, etc, to drive the motor of an electric vehicle

7. a pulley or truck that travels along an overhead wire in order to support a suspended load

8. a low truck running on rails, used in factories, mines, etc, and on railways

9. a truck, cage, or basket suspended from an overhead track or cable for carrying loads in a mine, quarry, etc

10. slang

    1. mentally confused or disorganized

    2. insane

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verb

1. (tr) to transport (a person or object) on a trolley

trolley More Idioms  

1. see off one's head (trolley).

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Etymology

Origin of trolley

First recorded in 1815–25; originally dialect; apparently akin to troll ¹

Example Sentences

She said it just didn't look right as people lay on trolleys outside resuscitation areas, adding that they must have witnessed horrific things.

From BBC

Then he nodded and loaded the marked boxes onto a trolley full of other boxes and thrust the printout into the boy’s hands.

From Literature

Rae was another matter – her background as a dancer helping her pull off a tight and punchy performance of Fame Is A Gun, filmed backstage as a trolley laden with Grammy trophies was driving past.

From BBC

"A lot of the shelves are quite empty, and there are always trolleys in the aisles when they're filling up shelves. Sometimes you can't get to where you want to be — it puts you off."

From BBC

On a recent weekday afternoon, delivery men dragged trolleys stacked with bundles of returned clothing through the halls.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• disk
• drum
• roller