trolley car
Học thuậtThân thiện
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
- a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by electricity