dolly

1 of 2

noun

dol·​ly ˈdä-lē How to pronounce dolly (audio)
ˈdȯ-lē
plural dollies
1
: doll
2
: a wooden-pronged instrument for beating and stirring clothes in the process of washing them in a tub
3
: a compact narrow-gauge railroad locomotive for moving construction trains and for switching
4
a
: a platform on a roller or on wheels or casters for moving heavy objects
b
: a wheeled platform for a television or movie camera

dolly

2 of 2

verb

dollied; dollying

transitive verb

1
: to treat with a dolly
2
: to move or convey on a dolly

intransitive verb

: to move a movie or television camera about on a dolly while shooting a scene
also, of a camera : to be moved on a dolly

Examples of dolly in a Sentence

Noun We'll need a dolly to move the refrigerator. my kid sister was always playing with her dollies
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The actor started out walking, then stepped onto a board that had been attached to a dolly, which was on a track, kept going forward, and then lifted him up. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 24 Dec. 2024 His dollies through agrarian acres are not meant to drum up suspense. Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 17 Feb. 2025 Tregenza always does his own cinematography, and his style is entirely his own, involving extended and elaborate camera moves on dollies, cranes, cars, or even boats. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025 For the home invasion sequence, Daniels rarely laid dolly track, instead placing the dolly directly on the floor to give it some bumps. Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dolly

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1878, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dolly was in 1790

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dolly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dolly. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

dolly

noun
ˈdäl-ē,
ˈdȯ-lē
plural dollies
1
2
: a platform on a roller or on wheels for moving heavy objects
especially : a wheeled platform for a television or motion-picture camera

More from Merriam-Webster on dolly

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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