troll 1
(trōl)v. trolled, troll·ing, trolls
v.tr.
1.
a. To fish for by trailing a baited line from behind a slowly moving boat.
b. To fish in by trailing a baited line: troll the lake for bass.
c. To trail (a baited line) in fishing.
2.
a. To move around in (an area) or go to (different places) searching for something: "The players cautiously refrain from saying anything candid to the press trolling the clubhouse" (David Grann).
b. To examine or search through: trolling the classifieds for a cheap car.
3. Music
a. To sing in succession the parts of (a round, for example).
b. To sing heartily: troll a carol.
4. To post inflammatory or irrelevant material on (an electronic forum) to provoke responses.
v.intr.
1. To fish by trailing a line, as from a moving boat.
2.
a. To stroll along or wander: "As he was extremely early, he trolled past the community center" (David Bezmozgis).
b. To move around in an area or go to different places searching for something.
c. To examine or search through something: trolling through old family photos looking for a picture of my aunt.
3. Music To sing heartily or gaily.
n.
1.
a. The act of trolling for fish.
b. A lure, such as a spoon or spinner, that is used for trolling.
2. Music A vocal composition in successive parts; a round.
3.
a. A person who posts inflammatory or otherwise unwanted material on an electronic forum, especially anonymously.
b. The material so posted.
[Middle English trollen, to wander about, from Old French troller, of Germanic origin. N., senses 3a and b, influenced by troll.]
troll′er n.
troll 2
(trōl)n.
1. 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.
2. Derogatory A person, especially an older gay man, considered to be unpleasant or ugly.
[Old Norse, perhaps akin to Old Norse troða, to step, tread, and dialectal Norwegian trosa, to leave or go off tumultuously.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
trolling - angling by drawing a baited line through the water