trolly

A waiter pushes a trolly of food through the restaurant.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small cart with wheels: "trolly" (also spelled trolley) refers to a small wheeled vehicle, typically pushed by hand, used for transporting items such as luggage, groceries, or food in a dining setting.
   • A streetcar: In American English, "trolly" can mean an electric passenger vehicle that runs on tracks along city streets, also known as a streetcar or tram.
   • A device for collecting current: In electrical contexts, a "trolly" is a wheeled apparatus that slides along an overhead wire to supply power to an electric vehicle, such as a bus or train.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He loaded the heavy boxes onto a trolly to move them across the warehouse. (A small, hand-pushed cart for transporting goods.)
  • We took the trolly from the hotel to the downtown market. (A streetcar used for public transportation.)
  • The maintenance worker adjusted the trolly on the overhead power line. (The current-collecting device for an electric vehicle.)

Advanced Usage

• "trolly problem": A famous ethical thought experiment involving a runaway trolly and a moral dilemma.

  • The professor asked the class to discuss the trolly problem and whether it is ethical to divert the trolly to save more lives. (A philosophical scenario about making difficult choices.)

• "off one's trolly": A dated, informal phrase meaning to be crazy or irrational.

  • He started talking to himself in the middle of the meeting; I think he's gone off his trolly. (He is acting mentally unstable.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trolley (n): The more common spelling variant of "trolly"; both are acceptable.

  • She pushed the shopping trolley down the aisle. (A cart for groceries.)

• Trolleybus (n): A bus that draws power from overhead wires using a trolly.

  • The city replaced its old buses with electric trolleybuses. (Buses powered by overhead cables.)

Synonyms

• Cart: a vehicle with wheels, often pushed by hand.
• Streetcar: a passenger vehicle on rails (specific to the transportation meaning).
• Tram: another term for a streetcar, common in British English.

Idioms

• "Trolly dash": A competition or game where participants rush to collect as many items as possible from a store within a time limit.
  • The contestants won a trolly dash at the supermarket as part of the game show prize. (A timed shopping spree.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Trolly along: To move slowly or casually, often in a wheeled cart or vehicle.
  • She trollyed along the aisle, picking up items for her list. (Moved while pushing a trolly.)