troll

noun

/trɒl/, /trəʊl/

/trəʊl/

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(in Scandinavian stories) a creature that looks like an ugly person. Some trolls are very large and evil, others are small and friendly but like to trick people.
(informal) a message to a discussion group on the internet that somebody deliberately sends to make other people angry; a person who sends a message like thisTopics Phones, email and the internetc2

Word Originnoun sense 1from Old Norse and Swedish troll, Danish trold; adopted into English from Scandinavian in the mid 19th cent. noun sense 2 late Middle English (in the sense ‘stroll, roll’): origin uncertain; compare with Old French troller ‘wander here and there (in search of game)’ and Middle High German trollen ‘stroll’.

troll

verb

/trɒl/, /trəʊl/

/trəʊl/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they troll	/trɒl/, /trəʊl/ /trəʊl/
he / she / it trolls	/trɒlz/, /trəʊlz/ /trəʊlz/
past simple trolled	/trɒld/, /trəʊld/ /trəʊld/
past participle trolled	/trɒld/, /trəʊld/ /trəʊld/
-ing form trolling	/ˈtrɒlɪŋ/, /ˈtrəʊlɪŋ/ /ˈtrəʊlɪŋ/

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[intransitive] troll (for something) (especially North American English) to catch fish by pulling a line with bait on it through the water behind a boat
[transitive, intransitive] (informal) to search for or try to get something
- troll something for something He trolled the internet for advice on the disease.
- troll for something Both candidates have been trolling for votes.
[intransitive, transitive] troll (somebody/something) to write false or offensive messages on the internet in order to make other people angry
- Someone keeps posting snide comments on the forum, trolling for a reaction.
- Someone trolled me every day this week, each time posting the same obnoxious message on my blog.
- It looks like kids are intentionally trolling these blogs and trying to get a reaction from the adults who write them.
Topics Phones, email and the internetc2

Word Originverb late Middle English (in the sense ‘stroll, roll’): origin uncertain; compare with Old French troller ‘wander here and there (in search of game)’ and Middle High German trollen ‘stroll’.