dolly

Dolly is a feminine given name and nickname in English. It is commonly used as a diminutive form of Dorothy or Dolores, though it has also stood as a given name in its own right. The name has appeared in various cultures and has been adopted by performers, writers, and public figures.

Dolly Parton, born Dolly Rebecca Parton in 1946 in Tennessee, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist. She achieved fame in country music with hits such as Jolene and 9 to 5, and she has pursued acting, business ventures, and charitable work, notably through the Dollywood Foundation and supporting literacy initiatives.

Dolly the sheep, born in 1996, was the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell using the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer. Created by scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, the ewe named Dolly provided a demonstration of mammalian cloning and raised discussions about ethics, animal welfare, and biomedical research. Dolly died in 2003.

In film and television, a dolly is a wheeled platform that supports a camera, allowing smooth movement along tracks or on the floor. Controlled by a dolly grip or operator, dollies enable tracking shots and dynamic framing. Variants include motorized dollies and fluid-head dollies used in studios and on location.

Other uses of the word exist in everyday language. In British English, dolly can refer to a child’s doll, and in metalwork and carpentry, a dolly can describe a small hand tool or forming block used to shape material. The term also appears in various brand names and fiction.