Hypertext Webster Gateway: "droll"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Droll \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.
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)
Droll \Droll\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Drolled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Drolling}.]
To jest; to play the buffoon. [R.]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Droll \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.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
droll
adj : comical in an odd or whimsical manner; "a droll little man
with a quiet tongue-in-cheek kind of humor"
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