Meanings
nountrolley pole (plural trolley poles)
plural trolley poles
- A pole of wood or metal, used to transfer electricity from an overhead wire to power a tram, streetcar or trolley bus.
Current collection is by trolley pole with fixed head, and the locomotive is equipped with hand brake, electric headlights and a warning bell.
1957 December 28, H. R. Stones, “The Hellingly Hospital Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 871
Origin
A trolley wheel (a wheel that trolls along a wire) at the end of a pole.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
trolley pole. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trolley%20pole
MLA
“trolley pole.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trolley%20pole. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trolley pole,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trolley%20pole.
Source: trolley pole on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.