dolly

Meanings

1. A doll.
2. A roughly cylindrical wooden object used as a base when molding pie crust.
3. A contrivance for stirring:
4. A disc with downward legs and a vertical handle, used for agitating laundry.
5. A device turned on a vertical axis by a handle or a winch, giving a circular motion to ore being washed.
6. A tool with an indented head for shaping the head of a rivet.
7. In pile driving, a block interposed between the head of the pile and the ram of the driver.
8. A small truck with a single wide roller used for moving heavy beams, columns, etc., in bridge building.
9. A small truck without means of steering, to be slipped under a load.
10. An unpowered vehicle (trailer) designed for connection to a tractor unit, truck or prime mover vehicle, with strong traction power.
11. A compact, narrow-gauge locomotive used for moving construction trains, switching, etc.
12. A specialized piece of film equipment resembling a little cart on which a camera is mounted.

1. To hit a dolly.
2. To move (an object) using a dolly.
3. To move a camera (usually toward or away from its subject) using a dolly.
4. To wash (laundry) in a tub using the stirring device called a dolly.
5. To beat (red-hot metal) with a hammer.
6. To crush ore with a dolly.
7. To make somebody or something look attractive.

1. Pretty; attractive.
2. Left-handed (also dolly-handed, dolly-pawed, dolly-posh).

1. An offering of fruit or flowers.

1. A diminutive of the female given names Dorothy, Dolores, or Doris.

1. Ellipsis of Dolly Parton.
2. Ellipsis of Dolly Varden trout.

Etymology

From doll + -y, from the given name Dorothy, originally applied either to a woman or female pet or to a children's toy, and expanded to refer to various types of contrivances or devices. The Online Etymology Dictionary, while considering the reason for applying it to such devices unobvious, compares how the names jack, jenny and jimmy are also applied to devices.

Translations