trolley car

American  

noun

1. a streetcar propelled electrically by current taken by means of a trolley from a conducting wire strung overhead or running beneath a slot between the tracks.

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trolley car British  

noun

1. another word for streetcar

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Etymology

Origin of trolley car

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trolley car

Suburbs sprouted like poppies after a spring rain, all connected by 1,100 miles of trolley car tracks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2025

It was used to provide electricity to the growing city, particularly powering the electric trolley car system according to the Seattle City Light website.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 16, 2023

He would call people in the party, for instance, "trolley car guys," because they followed a line.

From Salon ● Feb. 1, 2022

The original cover features a gracefully composed image of a trolley car in New Orleans, the passengers gazing directly out, as if deliberately holding eye contact with the viewer.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 11, 2019

I got out of school at two o’clock and took a trolley car over to the public library where I was supposed to meet Danny.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok