trolley

1 of 2

noun

trol·​ley ˈträ-lē How to pronounce trolley (audio)
variants or less commonly trolly
plural trolleys also trollies
1
a
: a streetcar powered electrically through a trolley

called also trolley car

b
: a device that carries electric current from an overhead wire to an electrically driven vehicle
2
: a wheeled carriage running on an overhead rail or track
3
chiefly British : a cart or wheeled stand used for conveying something (such as food or books)
4
dialectal, England : a cart of any of various kinds

trolley

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly trolly
trolleyed also trollied; trolleying also trollying

transitive verb

: to convey by a trolley

intransitive verb

: to ride on a trolley

Examples of trolley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
San Diego police said three people opened fire in a gun battle in the Union Grantville complex, which sits near a trolley station and markets itself to San Diego State University students. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 The legend began in 1903 with a humble saloon in Tampa where trolley conductors and cigar-factory workers ducked in for a slurp of strong coffee. Andrew Barrett Schrader, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 San Francisco Muni, for example, currently runs more than 550 diesel-electric hybrid buses, almost 280 electric trolley buses running off overhead cables, and just 10 battery-electric vehicles. Kristel Tjandra, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2024 There’s even a free trolley that makes occasional stops along Miami Beach. Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 29 Feb. 2024 All Aboard! is designed for kids age 4 and up, and young visitors will love taking a ride on a vintage trolley during their visit. Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Following them a few minutes later was a trolley filled with smiling council members from nearby cities. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 At the Old Town trolley station Saturday morning, migrant travelers could take a free shuttle to the airport. Calmatters, Orange County Register, 27 Feb. 2024 West has the new rapid bus terminal to its south and the trolley to its north, as well as being a short walk to the Santa Fe Depot with train connections to Los Angeles and beyond. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
The 360-degree spinner wheels are easy to trolley across terminals. Sian Babish, chicagotribune.com, 22 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trolley.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from troll entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1882, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of trolley was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near trolley

Cite this Entry

“Trolley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trolley. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trolley

noun
trol·​ley
variants also trolly
ˈträl-ē
plural trolleys also trollies
1
a
: a device for carrying current from a wire to an electrically driven vehicle
b
: a streetcar that runs on tracks and gets its electric power through a trolley

called also trolley car

2
: a wheeled carriage running on an overhead rail or track

Medical Definition

trolley

noun
trol·​ley
variants also trolly
plural trolleys also trollies
British
: gurney

More from Merriam-Webster on trolley

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!