(in Scandinavian folklore) any of a race of supernatural beings, sometimes conceived as giants and sometimes as dwarfs, inhabiting caves or subterranean dwellings.
2.
Slang. a person who lives or sleeps in a park or under a viaduct or bridge, as a bag lady or derelict.
troll 2Audio Help (trōl) Pronunciation Key
n.
A supernatural creature of Scandinavian folklore, variously portrayed as a friendly or mischievous dwarf or as a giant, that lives in caves, in the hills, or under bridges.
1377, "to go about, stroll," later (c.1425) "roll from side to side, trundle," from O.Fr. troller, a hunting term, "wander, to go in quest of game without purpose," from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G. trollen "to walk with short steps"), from P.Gmc. *truzlanan. Sense of "sing in a full, rolling voice" (first attested 1575) and that of "fish with a moving line" (1606) are both extended technical applications of the general sense of "roll, trundle," the latter perhaps confused with trail or trawl. Fig. sense of "to draw on as with a moving bait, entice, allure" is from 1565. Meaning "to cruise in search of sexual encounters" is recorded from 1967, originally in homosexual slang.
"ugly dwarf or giant," 1616, from O.N. troll "giant, fiend, demon." Some speculate that it originally meant "creature that walks clumsily," and derives from P.Gmc. *truzlan, from *truzlanan (see troll (v.)). But it seems to have been a general supernatural word, cf. Swed. trolla "to charm, bewitch;" O.N. trolldomr "witchcraft." The old sagas tell of the troll-bull, a supernatural being in the form of a bull, as well as boar-trolls. There were troll-maidens, troll-wives, and troll-women; the trollman, a magician or wizard, and the troll-drum, used in Lappish magic rites. The word was popularized in Eng. by 19c. antiquarians, but it has been current in the Shetlands and Orkneys since Viking times. The first record of it is from a court document from the Shetlands, regarding a certain Catherine, who, among other things, was accused of "airt and pairt of witchcraft and sorcerie, in hanting and seeing the Trollis ryse out of the kyrk yeard of Hildiswick." Originally conceived as a race of giants, they have suffered the same fate as the Celtic Danann and are now regarded in Denmark and Sweden as dwarfs and imps supposed to live in caves or under the ground.
(Scandanavian folklore) a supernatural creature (either a dwarf or a giant) that is supposed to live in caves or in the mountains
2.
a partsong in which voices follow each other; one voice starts and others join in one after another until all are singing different parts of the song at the same time; "they enjoyed singing rounds" [syn: round]
3.
a fisherman's lure that is used in trolling; "he used a spinner as his troll"
4.
angling by drawing a baited line through the water
verb
1.
circulate, move around
2.
cause to move round and round; "The child trolled her hoop"
3.
sing the parts of (a round) in succession
4.
angle with a hook and line drawn through the water
5.
sing loudly and without inhibition
6.
praise or celebrate in song; "All tongues shall troll you"
TROLL An array language for continuous simulation, econometric modelling or statistical analysis. ["TROLL Reference Manual", D0062, Info Proc Services, MIT (1973-76)].
troll An electronic mail message, Usenet posting or other (electronic) communication which is intentionally incorrect, but not overtly controversial (compare flame bait), or the act of sending such a message. Trolling aims to elicit an emotional reaction from those with a hair-trigger on the reply key. A really subtle troll makes some people lose their minds. (1994-10-17)
v.,n. 1. [From the Usenet group alt.folklore.urban] To utter a posting on Usenet designed to attract predictable responses or flames; or, the post itself. Derives from the phrase "trolling for newbies" which in turn comes from mainstream "trolling", a style of fishing in which one trails bait through a likely spot hoping for a bite. The well-constructed troll is a post that induces lots of newbies and flamers to make themselves look even more clueless than they already do, while subtly conveying to the more savvy and experienced that it is in fact a deliberate troll. If you don't fall for the joke, you get to be in on it. See also YHBT. 2. An individual who chronically trolls in sense 1; regularly posts specious arguments, flames or personal attacks to a newsgroup, discussion list, or in email for no other purpose than to annoy someone or disrupt a discussion. Trolls are recognizable by the fact that the have no real interest in learning about the topic at hand - they simply want to utter flame bait. Like the ugly creatures they are named after, they exhibit no redeeming characteristics, and as such, they are recognized as a lower form of life on the net, as in, "Oh, ignore him, he's just a troll." 3. [Berkeley] Computer lab monitor. A popular campus job for CS students. Duties include helping newbies and ensuring that lab policies are followed. Probably so-called because it involves lurking in dark cavelike corners.
Some people claim that the troll (sense 1) is properly a narrower category than flame bait, that a troll is categorized by containing some assertion that is wrong but not overtly controversial. See also Troll-O-Meter.
Trawl\, v. i. [OF. trauler, troller, F. tr[^o]ter, to drag about, to stroll about; probably of Teutonic origin. Cf. Troll, v. t.] To take fish, or other marine animals, with a trawl.
Troll\, n. [Icel. troll. Cf. Droll, Trull.] (Scand. Myth.) A supernatural being, often represented as of diminutive size, but sometimes as a giant, and fabled to inhabit caves, hills, and like places; a witch. Troll flower. (Bot.) Same as Globeflower (a) .
Troll\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Trolled; p. pr. & vb. n. Trolling.] [OE. trollen to roll, F. tr[^o]ler, Of. troller to drag about, to ramble; probably of Teutonic origin; cf. G. trollen to roll, ramble, sich trollen to be gone; or perhaps for trotler, fr. F. trotter to trot (cf. Trot.). Cf. Trawl.]1. To move circularly or volubly; to roll; to turn. To dress and troll the tongue, and roll the eye. --Milton. 2. To send about; to circulate, as a vessel in drinking. Then doth she troll to the bowl. --Gammer Gurton's Needle. Troll the brown bowl. --Sir W. Scott. 3. To sing the parts of in succession, as of a round, a catch, and the like; also, to sing loudly or freely. Will you troll the catch ? --Shak. His sonnets charmed the attentive crowd, By wide-mouthed mortaltrolled aloud. --Hudibras. 4. To angle for with a trolling line, or with a book drawn along the surface of the water; hence, to allure. 5. To fish in; to seek to catch fish from. With patient angle trolls the finny deep. --Goldsmith.
Troll\, v. i. 1. To roll; to run about; to move around; as, to troll in a coach and six. 2. To move rapidly; to wag. --F. Beaumont. 3. To take part in trolling a song. 4. To fish with a rod whose line runs on a reel; also, to fish by drawing the hook through the water. Their young men . . . trolled along the brooks that abounded in fish. --Bancroft.
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