Droll | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Drōll, a.

adjective

a. [compar. DROLLER; superl. DROLLEST.] [Fr. drôle, Ger. & D. drollig, L. Ger. drollig, O. Ger. trollicht, D. drol, a thick and short person, a droll, Sw. troll, a magical appearance, demon, trolla, to use magic arts, to enchant, Dan. trold, Icel. tröll, giant, magician, evil spirit, monster, drīoli, a slave with a huge body.] Fitted to provoke laughter; ludicrous from oddity; queer; amusing; capable of amusing actions or sayings.

Synonyms—Comic; comical; farcical; diverting; arch; waggish; queer; odd; facetious; merry; laughable; ludicrous.—DROLL, LAUGHABLE, COMICAL. Laughable is the generic term, denoting any thing calculated to excite laughter; comical denotes something humorous of the kind exhibited in comedies; 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.

Drōll, n.

noun

n. 1. One whose occupation or practice is to raise mirth by odd tricks; a jester; a buffoon; an antic; a merry-andrew. Prior.

Sense 2. Something exhibited to raise mirth or sport, as a puppet, a farce, and the like.

Drōll, v. i.

verbintransitive

To jest; to play the buffoon. [R.] South.

Drōll, v. t.

verbtransitive

To lead or influence by jest or trick; to cheat; to cajole. [Obs.] Men that will not be reasoned into their senses, may yet be laughed or drolled into them. L'Estrange.