Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Droller"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Droller \Droll"er\, n.
A jester; a droll. [Obs.] --Glanvill.
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