TROLL

Troll

A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, troll may have been a negative synonym for a jötunn, a being in Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings.

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troll

Noun

  1. A supernatural being of varying size, now especially a grotesque humanoid creature living in caves or hills or under bridges.
  2. An ugly person of either sex, especially one seeking sexual experiences.
  3. Optical ejections from the top of the electrically active core regions of thunderstorms that are red in color that seem to occur after tendrils of vigorous sprites extend downward toward the cloud tops.

Noun (etymology 2)

  1. An instance of trolling, especially, in fishing, the trailing of a baited line.
  2. A person who provokes others (chiefly on the Internet) for their own personal amusement or to cause disruption.

Noun (etymology 3)

  1. The act of moving round; routine; repetition.
  2. A song whose parts are sung in succession; a catch; a round.
  3. A trolley.

Verb

  1. To saunter.
  2. To trundle, to roll from side to side.
  3. To draw someone or something out, to entice, to lure as if with trailing bait.
    1906: It was necessary to troll them along two years with the hope of employing their usual methods, in order to get them to a place too far from their starting-point for retreat. — , "Fools and Their Money: Some After-Claps of Frenzied Finance", Everybody's Magazine XIV(5) May 1906, p. 690
  4. To fish using a line and bait or lures trailed behind a boat similarly to trawling; to lure fish with bait.
  5. To angle for with a trolling line, or with a hook drawn along the surface of the water; hence, to allure.
  6. To fish in; to try to catch fish from.
  7. To stroll about in order to find a sexual partner, to cruise .
    His favorite place to troll is that bar on 42nd street.
    I am trolling for custom, said the actress to the bishop.
  8. In an online community or discussion, (to post inflammatory material so as) to attempt to lure others into combative argument for purposes of personal entertainment and/or gratuitous disruption.
  9. By extension, to incite anger (outside of an internet context); to provoke, harass or annoy.

Verb (etymology 2)

  1. To move circularly; to roll; to turn.
  2. To send about; to circulate, as a vessel in drinking.
  3. To sing the parts of in succession, as of a round, a catch, and the like; also, to sing loudly, freely or in a carefree way.
    Troll the ancient Yuletide carol. Fa la la la la la la la la.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: troll
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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