trollop, n.
(ˈtrɒləp)
Also 7 trolops, dial. 7–9 trallop, 9 trollops, trallops.
[? Connected with troll v.; for the termination cf. gallop, wallop.]
1. An untidy or slovenly woman; a slattern, slut; also, sometimes a morally loose woman, a trull.
In quot. 1615 transf. of hounds.
| 1615 Wither Sheph. Hunt. Ecl. ii, Such wide-mouth'd Trollops that 'twould doe you good To heare their loud-loud Echoes teare the Wood. 1621 R. Brathwait Nat. Embassie, etc. (1877) 196 The Parsons wife, a lusty Trolops. a 1626 Middleton Mayor of Queenborough iv. i. 4 To greet thy grace, thy queen, and her fair trollops. 1682 in East Anglian Sept. (1904) 327 Many rayleing opprobrious Speeches and Invectives against the said Elizabeth, calling her Tripe and Trallop. 1742 Fielding Jos. Andrews i. viii, That impudent trollop, who is with child by you. 1846 D. Jerrold Mrs. Caudle's Curtain Lect. xxxii, But for that trollop..her quarter's up on Tuesday, and go she shall. 1887 Jessopp Arcady vii. 210 The husband of a dirty trollop who can neither cook nor sew. |
2. Anything draggling, or hanging loosely and untidily.
Sc.| 1872 Wedgwood Dict. Eng. Etym. (ed. 2), Trollop, a large piece of rag, especially wet rag. 1882 Jamieson, Trollop, a large, unseemly, straggling mass of anything. |
Hence
ˈtrollop v., intr. (
a) (
Sc.), to hang loosely and untidily, to draggle; (
b) (
colloq.), to act or dress like a trollop, to be slovenly;
spec. to walk in a slovenly way, to slouch;
† trolloˈpee, name for a loose dress worn by women in the 18th century;
ˈtrolloping,
ˈtrollopish,
ˈtrollopy adjs., like or characteristic of a trollop, ungainly, slovenly.
| 1854 M. Dods Early Lett. (1910) 63, I felt deeply moved for her, thinking she would *trollop away home. 1870 ‘Ouida’ Puck I. vii. 113 There's allus a lot of..bad wimmin a trolloping about. 1872 Wedgwood Dict. Eng. Etym. (ed. 2) s.v., Banff, trollop, to hang in a wet state; ‘The bairn cam in wee 'ts frockie a' trollopin' aboot its leggies’. 1882 Jamieson, To Troll, Trollop,..to walk, work, or dress in a slovenly manner. 1925 Chambers's Jrnl. 23 May 397/2 We'll go very slow and he can trollop behind. |
| 1756 Connoisseur No. 134 ¶7 A burgess's daughter..who appeared in a *Trolloppee or Slammerkin, with treble ruffles to the cuffs. 1762 Songs Costume (Percy Soc.) 240 With your flounces and furbelows, sacks, trollopees. |
| 1733 Duchess of Queensberry Let. to Swift 10 Nov., I did not cut and curl my hair like a sheep's head, or wear one of their *trolloping sacks. 1773 Goldsm. Stoops to Conq. i. ii, The daughter, a tall trapesing, trolloping, talkative May-pole. 1876 R. Broughton Joan iv, With such a trolloping length of uncurled curls down their backs. |
| 1864 Webster, *Trollopish. |
| 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) VIII. xli. 157 Their gowns, made to cover straddling hoops, hanging *trollopy, and tangling about their heels. 1864 C. M. Yonge Trial II. 133 In the front..stood a trollopy-looking girl. |