dolly

n. a child's word for a doll.

n. a diminutive or hypocoristic form of 'doll', typically used by or when speaking to young children.

“The toddler wouldn't go to sleep without her favourite dolly.”

“The child clutched her tattered dolly tightly as she navigated the crowded airport terminal.”

Informal

n. a small platform on wheels used for moving heavy things like furniture or boxes.

n. a low, wheeled platform or hand truck designed to facilitate the transport of heavy or bulky objects.

“We used a furniture dolly to move the heavy sofa into the new apartment.”

“The movers loaded the heavy oak desk onto a four-wheeled dolly to navigate the narrow office corridor without damaging the floor.”

n. a cart on tracks that carries a film camera to create smooth moving shots.

n. a mobile platform for a camera, often mounted on tracks, used to create smooth horizontal movement in cinematography.

“The director wanted a smooth shot, so the crew set up the dolly.”

“The cinematographer requested a complex dolly shot to follow the protagonist through the crowded marketplace in a single take.”

Technical

n. a small marker that a dealer puts on the winning number in a game of roulette.

n. a specialized marker, often made of plastic or wood, placed by the croupier on the winning number of a roulette table.

“The dealer placed the dolly on number twenty-two, and the winners cheered.”

“Standard casino protocol dictates that the dealer must place the dolly on the winning number before any payouts are distributed.”

Technical

n. a slang word for a young woman, often suggesting she is pretty but not very serious.

n. a slang term for a young woman, typically implying she is attractive but frivolous or lacking in substance.

“In the old movies, he was always looking for a pretty dolly to take to the dance.”

“The character was written as a stereotypical dolly, serving little purpose in the plot other than to provide visual appeal.”

Slang · Informal

v. to dress yourself or someone else in very nice or fancy clothes.

v. to dress oneself or another person in an elegant or showy manner; almost exclusively used as the phrasal verb 'dolly up'.

“She spent two hours getting dollied up for the wedding reception.”

“The children were all dollied up in their Sunday best for the family portrait session.”

Informal

adj. a slang word meaning pretty or attractive.

adj. an adjective meaning attractive or pleasant; specifically associated with Polari slang.

“That is a dolly new coat you are wearing.”

“The performer described the stage decorations as quite dolly, using the specific slang of the underground theatre scene.”

Slang · Dialect