# trolley

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #16,372

## Definitions
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 streetcar or light train.
3. A light rail, tramway, trolleybus or streetcar system.
4. A truck from which the load is suspended in some kinds of cranes.
5. A truck which travels along the fixed conductors in an electric railway, and forms a means of connection between them and a railway car.
6. A cart or shopping cart; a shopping trolley.
7. Clipping of flatbed trolley.
8. A hand truck.
9. A soapbox car.
10. A gurney, a stretcher with wheeled legs.
11. A handcar.

## Etymology
Early 19th century (1823) meaning "cart", of dialectal origin (Suffolk), probably from troll (“to trundle, roll”) + -ey (diminutive ending).

## Easily confused with
- **troll** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/troll-vs-trolley)

## Common misspellings (9)
`rtolley`, `torlley`, `trloley`, `trolely`, `troley`, `trolleyy`, `trollye`, `trrolley`, `ttrolley`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/trolley