<< Back to dictionary

The Meaning of 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.
  • (n.) 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.
  • (n.) To bind or involve by winding, as in a bandage; to inwrap; -- often with up; as, to roll up a parcel.
  • (n.) To drive or impel forward with an easy motion, as of rolling; as, a river rolls its waters to the ocean.
  • (n.) 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.
  • (n.) 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.
  • (n.) To move, or cause to be moved, upon, or by means of, rollers or small wheels.
  • (n.) To beat with rapid, continuous strokes, as a drum; to sound a roll upon.
  • (n.) 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.
  • (n.) To turn over in one's mind; to revolve.
  • (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.
  • (v. i.) To move on wheels; as, the carriage rolls along the street.
  • (v. i.) To be wound or formed into a cylinder or ball; as, the cloth rolls unevenly; the snow rolls well.
  • (v. i.) To fall or tumble; -- with over; as, a stream rolls over a precipice.
  • (v. i.) To perform a periodical revolution; to move onward as with a revolution; as, the rolling year; ages roll away.
  • (v. i.) To turn; to move circularly.
  • (v. i.) To move, as waves or billows, with alternate swell and depression.
  • (v. i.) 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.
  • (v. i.) To turn over, or from side to side, while lying down; to wallow; as, a horse rolls.
  • (v. i.) To spread under a roller or rolling-pin; as, the paste rolls well.
  • (v. i.) To beat a drum with strokes so rapid that they can scarcely be distinguished by the ear.
  • (v. i.) To make a loud or heavy rumbling noise; as, the thunder rolls.
  • (v.) The act of rolling, or state of being rolled; as, the roll of a ball; the roll of waves.
  • (v.) That which rolls; a roller.
  • (v.) A heavy cylinder used to break clods.
  • (v.) 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.
  • (v.) That which is rolled up; as, a roll of fat, of wool, paper, cloth, etc.
  • (v.) A document written on a piece of parchment, paper, or other materials which may be rolled up; a scroll.
  • (v.) Hence, an official or public document; a register; a record; also, a catalogue; a list.
  • (v.) A quantity of cloth wound into a cylindrical form; as, a roll of carpeting; a roll of ribbon.
  • (v.) A cylindrical twist of tobacco.
  • (v.) A kind of shortened raised biscuit or bread, often rolled or doubled upon itself.
  • (v.) 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.
  • (v.) A heavy, reverberatory sound; as, the roll of cannon, or of thunder.
  • (v.) The uniform beating of a drum with strokes so rapid as scarcely to be distinguished by the ear.
  • (v.) Part; office; duty; role.

Synonyms

axial rotation , axial motion , roster , roller , rolling wave , coil , whorl , curl , curlicue , ringlet , gyre , scroll , bankroll , bun , peal , pealing , rolling , paradiddle , drum roll , scroll , cast , bowl , turn over , wheel , undulate , roll out , wind , wrap , twine , hustle , pluck , undulate , flap , wave , wander , swan , stray , tramp , roam , cast , ramble , rove , range , drift , vagabond , revolve , seethe , roll up

Antonyms

unwind

Homophones

roehl , roell , roelle , rohl , rol , role , rolle

Rhymes

amphibole , anatole , atoll , bankroll , blowhole , boal , boehl , bohl , bole , boll , bowl , buol , buttonhole , cajole , casserole , charcoal , coal , coale , cole , colle , console , control , cubbyhole , decontrol , devaul , dhole , dipole , doell , dole , droll , ecole , enroll , espanol , extol , fishbowl , flagpole , foal , foale , fohl , foxhole , glycerol , glycol , goal , gohl , groll , hoel , hohl , hole , interpol , keyhole , knoell , knoll , koehl , koelle , kohl , kol , kole , lodgepole , loophole , madole , manhole , mcdole , metropol , mohl , mole , monopole , nicole , nicolle , nohl , nole , noll , ohl , ole , oriole , pajole , parole , patrol , payroll , pfohl , pigeonhole , pinhole , pistole , poehl , pohl , pole , poll , pothole , redpoll , rock-and-roll , roehl , roell , roelle , rohl , rol , role , rolle , schaul , scroll , self-control , seoul , shoal , shole , sinkhole , skoal , sohl , sole , soul , sowle , stole , stoll , strohl , strole , stroll , tadpole , thoele , thole , toal , toelle , tole , toll , troll , voell , walpole , whole , woehl , wohl