Definition Definition

roll - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'roll' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Roll [ n.]
- To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to move by turning on an axis; to impel forward by causing to turn over and over on a supporting surface; as, to roll a wheel, a ball, or a barrel.
- To wrap round on itself; to form into a spherical or cylindrical body by causing to turn over and over; as, to roll a sheet of paper; to roll parchment; to roll clay or putty into a ball.
- To bind or involve by winding, as in a bandage; to inwrap; -- often with up; as, to roll up a parcel.
- To drive or impel forward with an easy motion, as of rolling; as, a river rolls its waters to the ocean.
- To utter copiously, esp. with sounding words; to utter with a deep sound; -- often with forth, or out; as, to roll forth some one's praises; to roll out sentences.
- To press or level with a roller; to spread or form with a roll, roller, or rollers; as, to roll a field; to roll paste; to roll steel rails, etc.
- To move, or cause to be moved, upon, or by means of, rollers or small wheels.
- To beat with rapid, continuous strokes, as a drum; to sound a roll upon.
- To apply (one line or surface) to another without slipping; to bring all the parts of (one line or surface) into successive contact with another, in suck manner that at every instant the parts that have been in contact are equal.
- To turn over in one's mind; to revolve.
2 . Roll [ v.]
- The act of rolling, or state of being rolled; as, the roll of a ball; the roll of waves.
- That which rolls; a roller.
- A heavy cylinder used to break clods.
- One of a set of revolving cylinders, or rollers, between which metal is pressed, formed, or smoothed, as in a rolling mill; as, to pass rails through the rolls.
- That which is rolled up; as, a roll of fat, of wool, paper, cloth, etc.
- A document written on a piece of parchment, paper, or other materials which may be rolled up; a scroll.
- Hence, an official or public document; a register; a record; also, a catalogue; a list.
- A quantity of cloth wound into a cylindrical form; as, a roll of carpeting; a roll of ribbon.
- A cylindrical twist of tobacco.
- A kind of shortened raised biscuit or bread, often rolled or doubled upon itself.
- The oscillating movement of a vessel from side to side, in sea way, as distinguished from the alternate rise and fall of bow and stern called pitching.
- A heavy, reverberatory sound; as, the roll of cannon, or of thunder.
- The uniform beating of a drum with strokes so rapid as scarcely to be distinguished by the ear.
- Part; office; duty; role.
3 . Roll [ v. i.]
- To move, as a curved object may, along a surface by rotation without sliding; to revolve upon an axis; to turn over and over; as, a ball or wheel rolls on the earth; a body rolls on an inclined plane.
- To move on wheels; as, the carriage rolls along the street.
- To be wound or formed into a cylinder or ball; as, the cloth rolls unevenly; the snow rolls well.
- To fall or tumble; -- with over; as, a stream rolls over a precipice.
- To perform a periodical revolution; to move onward as with a revolution; as, the rolling year; ages roll away.
- To turn; to move circularly.
- To move, as waves or billows, with alternate swell and depression.
- To incline first to one side, then to the other; to rock; as, there is a great difference in ships about rolling; in a general semse, to be tossed about.
- To turn over, or from side to side, while lying down; to wallow; as, a horse rolls.
- To spread under a roller or rolling-pin; as, the paste rolls well.
- To beat a drum with strokes so rapid that they can scarcely be distinguished by the ear.
- To make a loud or heavy rumbling noise; as, the thunder rolls.

Meaning of 'roll' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . roll [ n]
Meaning (1):
- a roll of currency notes (often taken as the resources of a person or business etc.)
Example in sentence:
  • he shot his roll on a bob-tailed nag
Meaning (2):
- a list of names
Example in sentence:
  • his name was struck off the rolls
Meaning (3):
- rotary motion of an object around its own axis
Example in sentence:
  • wheels in axial rotation
4 . roll [ v]
Meaning (4):
- show certain properties when being rolled
Example in sentence:
  • dried-out tobacco rolls badly;
  • The carpet rolls unevenly
Meaning (5):
- shape by rolling
Example in sentence:
  • roll a cigarette
Meaning (6):
- flatten or spread with a roller
Example in sentence:
  • roll out the paper
Meaning (7):
- arrange or or coil around
Example in sentence:
  • roll your hair around your finger;
  • She wrapped her arms around the child;
  • Twine the thread around the spool
Meaning (8):
- emit, produce, or utter with a deep prolonged reverberating sound
Example in sentence:
  • rolling drums;
  • The thunder rolled
Meaning (9):
- move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
Example in sentence:
  • roving vagabonds;
  • The cattle roam across the prairie;
  • The gypsies roamed the woods;
  • the laborers drift from one town to the next;
  • the wandering Jew;
  • They rolled from town to town
Meaning (10):
- cause to move by turning over or in a circular manner of as if on an axis
Example in sentence:
  • She rolled the ball;
  • They rolled their eyes at his words
Meaning (11):
- pronounce with a roll, of the phoneme /r/
Example in sentence:
  • She rolls her r's
Meaning (12):
- begin operating or running
Example in sentence:
  • The cameras were rolling;
  • The presses are already rolling
Meaning (13):
- take the shape of a roll or cylinder
Example in sentence:
  • the carpet rolled out;
  • Yarn rolls well
Meaning (14):
- move by turning over or rotating
Example in sentence:
  • The child rolled down the hill;
  • turn over on your left side
Meaning (15):
- move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
Example in sentence:
  • The curtains undulated;
  • the waves rolled towards the beach
Meaning (16):
- execute a roll, in tumbling
Example in sentence:
  • The gymnasts rolled and jumped
Meaning (17):
- occur in soft rounded shapes
Example in sentence:
  • The hills rolled past
Meaning (18):
- boil vigorously
Example in sentence:
  • The liquid was seething;
  • The water rolled
Meaning (19):
- move along on or as if on wheels or a wheeled vehicle
Example in sentence:
  • The President's convoy rolled past the crowds
Meaning (20):
- move, rock, or sway from side to side
Example in sentence:
  • The ship rolled on the heavy seas