sb. 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. 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 Trollop v. (Sc.), intr. (a) to hang loosely and untidily, to draggle; (b) to act or dress like a trollop, to be slovenly; † Trollopee, name for a loose dress worn by women in the 18th century; Trolloping, Trollopish (also, like A. Trollope’s style), Trollopy adjs., like or characteristic of a trollop, ungainly, slovenly.
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.
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, Lett. 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. Miss Broughton, Joan, iv. With such a trolloping length of uncurled curls down their backs.
1844. Morn. Chron., 5 Dec., 5/3. The ‘Notes of a Loiterer in New York,’ are lively, though somewhat Trollopish.
1864. Webster, *Trollopish.
1879. Times (PA), 20 Jan., 3/1. It [‘Novel-Reading’] is a perfectly sound, but very long and wordy—in short, a very Trollopish article.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), VIII. xli. 157. Their gowns, made to cover straddling hoops, hanging *trollopy, and tangling about their heels.
1864. Miss Yonge, Trial, II. 133. In the front … stood a trollopy-looking girl.
