A small platform on wheels used to move heavy objects, or a wheeled camera stand used in filmmaking and photography.
From the verb 'doll' meaning to move or roll, first used in the 1500s. The word likely comes from the idea of a small doll-like object on wheels, with 'dolly' being the diminutive form.
The dolly changed filmmaking forever because it let cameras glide smoothly across scenes—before that, every shot had to be static, which is why old movies feel frozen and formal.
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