Definition

Noun: A public passenger vehicle, typically a single car, that runs on metal tracks laid in city streets and is powered by electricity drawn from an overhead wire via a trolley pole.

Usage

A trolley car is a specific type of streetcar or tram. The term is often used to describe such vehicles, particularly in a historical context or in certain regions of the United States. * The city's historic district still operates a vintage trolley car for tourists. * Before buses were common, people commuted to work on the trolley car.

Advanced Usage

• "To be off one's trolley": This is a dated, informal idiom meaning to be crazy or insane. It is derived from the image of a trolley car coming off its tracks.
  • If he thinks he can win, he's off his trolley.

Variants and Related Words

• Streetcar (n): A synonym for trolley car, commonly used in American English.
• Tram (n): The common term used in British English and many other English-speaking countries outside North America.
• Trolley (n): Can be a shortened, informal form of "trolley car." (Note: "Trolley" also has other common meanings, such as a shopping cart or a serving cart.)
• Trolleybus (n): A related but distinct vehicle that is electrically powered by overhead wires but runs on rubber tires, not on rails.

Synonyms

• Streetcar
• Tram
• Tramcar (less common)

Related Phrases

• Trolley line: The route or tracks on which trolley cars run.
  • The old trolley line was replaced by a bus route.
• Trolley pole: The pole on the roof of the car that connects to the overhead wire to draw electricity.
  • The trolley pole sparked as it made contact with the wire.

Noun

1. a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by electricity