What does "trolley" mean?
A trolley pole; a single-pole device for collecting electrical current from an overhead electrical line, normally for a tram/streetcar or a trolleybus.
Trolley
noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A trolley pole; a single-pole device for collecting electrical current from an overhead electrical line, normally for a tram/streetcar or a trolleybus.
- Grammar: trolley is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: streetcar, tram, barrow, carriage.
- Useful contrasts: basket, bus, static shelf.
- Usage evidence: Tom pushed his trolley down the aisle.
How to use "trolley"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "trolley" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "trolley" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "trolley" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "trolley" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "trolley" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "streetcar" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "trolley", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A trolley pole; a single-pole device for collecting electrical current from an overhead electrical line, normally for a tram/streetcar or a trolleybus.
- 2 a wheeled vehicle that runs on rails and is propelled by electricity wordnet
- 3 A streetcar or light train. US
"Gremlinesque behaviour might not be very obvious to an America, who would accept as perfectly natural the quaintly pixilated sayings and doings that are happening in subways, in trolleys, on buses, in bars at all times of the day and night."
- 4 A light rail, tramway, trolleybus or streetcar system. US, colloquial
- 5 A truck from which the load is suspended in some kinds of cranes.
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 A truck which travels along the fixed conductors in an electric railway, and forms a means of connection between them and a railway car.
- 7 A cart or shopping cart; a shopping trolley. Australia, British, Ireland, New-Zealand
"About a shopping trolley, I thought I'd let ye know. Ya'd try to push it straight but it never seems ta go. Ya'd wobble through the car park, hopping off the cars. Anyone would think ya had a few auld jars."
- 8 Clipping of flatbed trolley. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
- 9 A hand truck. British
- 10 A soapbox car. British
- 11 A gurney, a stretcher with wheeled legs. British
- 12 A handcar. Philippines
Verb
- 1 To bring to by trolley.
- 2 To use a trolley vehicle to go from one place to another.
- 3 To travel by trolley (streetcar, trolleybus or light train).
Example
"Tom pushed his trolley down the aisle."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "trolley"?
Common synonyms include: streetcar, tram, barrow, carriage, cart, carts.
How do you use "trolley" in a sentence?
Tom pushed his trolley down the aisle.
Etymology
Early 19th century (1823) meaning "cart", of dialectal origin (Suffolk), probably from troll (“to trundle, roll”) + -ey (diminutive ending).