trolley

trolley — noun

1. A small wheeled frame pushed or pulled by hand, used for carrying heavy or awkwa

1.nounB1
Definition

A small wheeled frame pushed or pulled by hand, used for carrying heavy or awkwardly shaped loads from one place to another.

Example

Nila pushed the trolley full of boxes across the warehouse floor.

push + trolley + full of [items]

The station porter used a trolley to carry their luggage to the platform.

Common collocations
  • push a trolley
  • pull a trolley
  • load onto a trolley
  • luggage trolley
  • metal trolley
  • heavy-duty trolley
Synonyms
  • cart

    more common in American English; also refers to larger vehicles pulled by animals or motors

  • hand truck

    a two-wheeled vertical trolley for moving stacked boxes

  • barrow

    a smaller outdoor cart, often used in gardens or markets

Usage Note

In American English, 'cart' is more common than 'trolley' for this sense.

Common Mistakes

The station porter put the luggage on a cart.' (using the American term in a British context).
The station porter put the luggage on a trolley.
In British English, 'trolley' is the standard word for a wheeled luggage carrier at train stations and airports.

2. A wheeled piece of furniture fitted with several shelf levels, designed for tran

2.nounB1
Definition

A wheeled piece of furniture fitted with several shelf levels, designed for transporting dishes, drinks, or meals around a room.

Example

The waiter wheeled the dessert trolley over to our table after dinner.

wheel + a [type] trolley + to [location]

Astrid brought coffee and cakes into the living room on a wooden serving trolley.

Common collocations
  • dessert trolley
  • drinks trolley
  • serving trolley
  • cleaning trolley
  • wheel in a trolley
  • stainless-steel trolley
Synonyms
  • serving cart

    the more common term in American English

  • tea cart

    specifically for serving tea and light refreshments

  • hostess cart

    a decorative trolley used in formal dining settings

Usage Note

In American English, 'serving cart' or 'tea cart' is more common for this type of furniture.

3. A narrow wheeled bed with a thin mattress, used by hospital staff to move patien

3.nounB2
Definition

A narrow wheeled bed with a thin mattress, used by hospital staff to move patients who cannot walk.

Example

The paramedics lifted the injured cyclist onto a trolley and into the ambulance.

lift + [person] + onto a trolley

Nkechi lay on a hospital trolley in the corridor, waiting for an X-ray.

Common collocations
  • hospital trolley
  • on a trolley
  • wheeled trolley
  • folded trolley
  • emergency trolley
Synonyms
  • gurney

    the standard American English term for a wheeled hospital bed

  • stretcher

    a simpler carrying frame without wheels, used for lifting and carrying patients

Usage Note

In American English, 'gurney' is the standard term for this piece of hospital equipment.

Common Mistakes

The patient was moved on a gurney' (when writing for a British audience).
The patient was moved on a trolley.
'Trolley' is the British term; 'gurney' is American.

4. A wheeled metal or plastic basket used in shops for carrying goods that a custom

4.nounA2
Definition

A wheeled metal or plastic basket used in shops for carrying goods that a customer intends to buy; also, the virtual basket on a website that holds items selected for purchase.

Example

Christopher pushed the trolley through the supermarket, picking up vegetables for dinner.

I added three books to my online shopping trolley but did not complete the purchase.

add [item] to + online shopping trolley

Common collocations
  • shopping trolley
  • online trolley
  • add to trolley
  • in your trolley
  • trolley full of groceries
  • trolley with [items]
Synonyms
  • cart

    the standard American English term

  • basket

    a smaller handheld container, without wheels, also used on websites for the same purpose

  • shopping cart

    commonly understood globally, especially in e-commerce

Usage Note

In British English, this is the standard term for a supermarket shopping cart. On websites, 'trolley' or 'basket' is used — the American term 'cart' is also common in global e-commerce.

Common Mistakes

I need a cart for my groceries' (in British English writing).
I need a trolley for my groceries.
In the UK, 'trolley' is the word for a shopping cart at a supermarket.

5. A public passenger vehicle powered by electricity, running on rails laid into ci

5.nounB1
Definition

A public passenger vehicle powered by electricity, running on rails laid into city streets and typically stopping at frequent intervals.

Example

Eitan took the trolley from the city center to the art museum every Saturday.

take + the trolley + from [A] to [B]

The old trolley cars in San Francisco attract many visitors each year.

Common collocations
  • trolley car
  • trolley line
  • trolley system
  • trolley tracks
  • ride a trolley
  • catch a trolley
  • trolley stop
Synonyms
  • streetcar

    the more formal American term for the same vehicle

  • tram

    the standard British English and international term

  • light rail

    a more modern system that may run on dedicated tracks rather than in street traffic

Usage Note

In American English, 'trolley' typically refers to this type of vehicle. In British English, 'tram' is the usual term for the same thing.

Common Mistakes

I took the tram' (when writing for an American audience).
I took the trolley.
Americans generally say 'trolley' or 'streetcar,' not 'tram.'
Idioms

off one's trolley

idiom

Behaving in a foolish, confused, or mentally unsound way.

You must be off your trolley if you think I will pay that much for a used bicycle.

Grandpa started talking to the television again — the nurses say he is completely off his trolley.

off your trolley

idiom

Behaving in a way that is not sensible or reasonable.

Maya must be off her trolley to drive in this storm.

Are you off your trolley? That plan will never work.

trolley — verb

Word family

  • trolleyed
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe wheeled carriers pushed by hand, but they differ in shape and typical use. 'Trolley' (British) and 'cart' (American) are the broadest terms: a trolley usually has four wheels and a flat platform or basket, while a cart can be anything from a supermarket basket-on-wheels to a horse-drawn vehicle. A 'hand truck' is a specific two-wheeled vertical frame with a lip at the bottom, used for stacking and moving boxes — you tilt it back and wheel it like a lever. A 'barrow' (short for wheelbarrow) has one or two wheels at the front, handles at the back, and is designed for outdoor loads like soil or garden waste. In daily use: 'Grab a trolley for those heavy suitcases' (British) vs 'Use a hand truck for those boxes of printer paper.'

trolley ↗cart ↗hand truckbarrow

Common collocations

Nouns

  • luggage trolley
  • shopping trolley
  • hospital trolley
  • serving trolley
  • dessert trolley
  • drinks trolley
  • trolley car
  • trolley line
  • trolley track
  • trolley stop

Phrases

  • push a trolley
  • pull a trolley
  • wheel a trolley
  • load onto a trolley
  • add to the trolley

Prepositions

  • on a trolley
  • off a trolley
  • onto a trolley
  • from a trolley
  • by trolley

Etymology

dialectal EnglishEnglish

The word 'trolley' first appeared in English around the 1820s, referring to a simple cart or carrier. Its origin is uncertain, but it may come from the dialect word 'troll' meaning 'to roll' or 'to move,' related to the older English 'troll' (to stroll or wander). In the 1880s, the streetcar sense emerged when a small wheeled device — itself called a 'trolley' — was used to draw electricity from overhead wires to power the vehicle. The name of the device was transferred to the vehicle it served.