trolley
trolley — noun
1. A small wheeled frame pushed or pulled by hand, used for carrying heavy or awkwa
A small wheeled frame pushed or pulled by hand, used for carrying heavy or awkwardly shaped loads from one place to another.
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.
Liang loaded the boxes onto a metal trolley and wheeled them toward the storage room.
Without a trolley, moving the equipment would have taken twice as long.
A heavy trolley stood in the corridor, loaded with office supplies for the new desks.
- 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
用法筆記
In American English, 'cart' is more common than 'trolley' for this sense.
常見錯誤
2. A wheeled piece of furniture fitted with several shelf levels, designed for tran
A wheeled piece of furniture fitted with several shelf levels, designed for transporting dishes, drinks, or meals around a room.
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.
Dylan wheeled the breakfast trolley into the hotel room, balancing plates of toast and a pot of tea.
At the party, a small drinks trolley was passed around among the guests.
The restaurant uses a stainless-steel trolley to bring breakfast trays to hotel rooms.
- 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
用法筆記
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
A narrow wheeled bed with a thin mattress, used by hospital staff to move patients who cannot walk.
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.
A nurse pushed the trolley quickly down the hall toward the operating room.
The hospital staff kept a folded trolley ready by the emergency entrance at all times.
Patients on trolleys lined the corridor when all hospital beds were full.
用法筆記
In American English, 'gurney' is the standard term for this piece of hospital equipment.
常見錯誤
4. A wheeled metal or plastic basket used in shops for carrying goods that a custom
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.
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
Sari loaded the trolley with rice, cooking oil, and canned beans for the week.
The website showed the total price of everything in your trolley before checkout.
A small child sat in the trolley while her mother chose fruit at the market.
- 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
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
5. A public passenger vehicle powered by electricity, running on rails laid into ci
A public passenger vehicle powered by electricity, running on rails laid into city streets and typically stopping at frequent intervals.
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.
Passengers stepped off the trolley and onto the crowded downtown sidewalk.
Walid rode the trolley to work each morning to avoid driving in heavy traffic.
The trolley moved slowly along the tracks, stopping every two blocks for passengers.
- 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
用法筆記
In American English, 'trolley' typically refers to this type of vehicle. In British English, 'tram' is the usual term for the same thing.
常見錯誤
trolley — verb
1. To move or carry something using a hand-pushed wheeled cart, especially in a wor
To move or carry something using a hand-pushed wheeled cart, especially in a workplace or institutional setting.
The warehouse staff trolleyed the shipment from the loading dock to the storage area.
trolley + [object] + from [A] to [B]
Allison trolleyed the heavy boxes of donated books into the library basement.
The surgical equipment was trolleyed across the hospital to the new ward upstairs.
Fresh supplies were trolleyed into the ward each morning before the doctors began their rounds.
文法句型
trolley + object + adverb/preposition
be trolleyed + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
This verb form is infrequent in everyday conversation. The phrase 'move by trolley' or 'transport on a trolley' is more common.
2. To travel as a passenger on an electric streetcar that runs on rails along city
To travel as a passenger on an electric streetcar that runs on rails along city streets.
Cole and his sister trolleyed downtown to see the holiday lights display.
trolley + [direction/destination]
We trolleyed along the main street, watching the city pass by outside the windows.
Gita trolleyed from the university campus to the market district every afternoon.
Tourists trolleyed up and down the historic district, hopping off at each stop.
- tram
the British equivalent, used both as noun and rarely as verb
文法句型
trolley + adverb/preposition
用法筆記
This verb form is very rare. 'Take a trolley' or 'go by trolley' is far more common in everyday speech.