noun
dolly
DO-lee
noun
1
A wheeled platform or cart used to move heavy objects, or to move a camera smoothly during filming.
"The crew pushed the camera dolly along the track for the tracking shot."
verb
1
To move a camera smoothly toward or away from a subject using a dolly.
"The director asked the operator to dolly in slowly on the actor's face."
How to Use Dolly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small wheeled cart, especially one used to move heavy items or a film camera.
Common pairings
camera dolly
dolly in
a moving dolly
Word Forms
more dolly comparative, dollied past tense, dollies plural, Dollys plural, dollies singular, most dolly superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “dolly”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The crew pushed the camera _____ along the track for the tracking shot.
Etymology
From "doll," derived from the name Dorothy, later extended to various small movable devices.