Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Droll?

\Droll\, a. [Compar. {Droller}; superl. {Drollest}.] [F. dr[^o]le; cf. G. & D. drollig, LG. drullig, D. drol a thick and short person, a droll, Sw. troll a magical appearance, demon, trolla to use magic arts, enchant, Dan. trold elf, imp, Icel. tr["o]ll giant, magician, evil spirit, monster. If this is the origin, cf. {Trull}.] Queer, and fitted to provoke laughter; ludicrous from oddity; amusing and strange. Syn: Comic; comical; farcical; diverting; humorous; ridiculous; queer; odd; waggish; facetious; merry; laughable; ludicrous. -- {Droll}, {Laughable}, {Comical}. Laughable is the generic term, denoting anything exciting laughter or worthy of laughter; comical denotes something of the kind exhibited in comedies, something humorous of the kind exhibited in comedies, something, as it were, dramatically humorous; droll stands lower on the scale, having reference to persons or things which excite laughter by their buffoonery or oddity. A laughable incident; a comical adventure; a droll story.
\Droll\, n. 1. One whose practice it is to raise mirth by odd tricks; a jester; a buffoon; a merry-andrew. --Prior. 2. Something exhibited to raise mirth or sport, as a puppet, a farce, and the like.
\Droll\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Drolled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Drolling}.] To jest; to play the buffoon. [R.]
\Droll\, v. t. 1. To lead or influence by jest or trick; to banter or jest; to cajole. Men that will not be reasoned into their senses, may yet be laughed or drolled into them. --L'Estrange. 2. To make a jest of; to set in a comical light. [R.] This drolling everything is rather fatiguing. -- W. D. Howells.