Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Roll

Roll

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Rolled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Rolling
.]
[OF.
roeler
,
roler
, F.
rouler
, LL.
rotulare
, fr. L.
royulus
,
rotula
, a little wheel, dim. of
rota
wheel; akin to G.
rad
, and to Skr.
ratha
car, chariot. Cf.
Control
,
Roll
,
Noun.
,
Rotary
.]
1.
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
.
2.
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.
3.
To bind or involve by winding, as in a bandage; to inwrap; – often with up;
as, to
roll
up a parcel
.
4.
To drive or impel forward with an easy motion, as of rolling;
as, a river
rolls
its waters to the ocean
.
The flood of Catholic reaction was
rolled
over Europe.
J. A. Symonds.
5.
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.
Who
roll'd
the psalm to wintry skies.
Tennyson.
6.
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.
7.
To move, or cause to be moved, upon, or by means of, rollers or small wheels.
8.
To beat with rapid, continuous strokes, as a drum; to sound a roll upon.
9.
(Geom.)
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.
10.
To turn over in one's mind; to revolve.
Full oft in heart he
rolleth
up and down
The beauty of these florins new and bright.
Chaucer.
To roll one's self
,
to wallow.
–
To roll the eye
,
to direct its axis hither and thither in quick succession.
–
To roll one's r's
,
to utter the letter r with a trill.
[Colloq.]

Roll

,
Verb.
I.
1.
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.
And her foot, look you, is fixed upon a spherical stone, which
rolls
, and
rolls
, and
rolls
.
Shakespeare
2.
To move on wheels;
as, the carriage
rolls
along the street
.
“The rolling chair.”
Dryden.
3.
To be wound or formed into a cylinder or ball;
as, the cloth
rolls
unevenly; the snow
rolls
well.
4.
To fall or tumble; – with over;
as, a stream
rolls
over a precipice
.
5.
To perform a periodical revolution; to move onward as with a revolution;
as, the
rolling
year; ages
roll
away.
6.
To turn; to move circularly.
And his red eyeballs
roll
with living fire.
Dryden.
7.
To move, as waves or billows, with alternate swell and depression.
What different sorrows did within thee
roll
.
Prior.
8.
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.
Twice ten tempestuous nights I
rolled
.
Pope.
9.
To turn over, or from side to side, while lying down; to wallow;
as, a horse
rolls
.
10.
To spread under a roller or rolling-pin;
as, the paste
rolls
well
.
11.
To beat a drum with strokes so rapid that they can scarcely be distinguished by the ear.
12.
To make a loud or heavy rumbling noise;
as, the thunder
rolls
.
To roll about
,
to gad abroad.
[Obs.]
Man shall not suffer his wife go
roll about
.
Chaucer.

Roll

,
Noun.
[F.
rôle
a roll (in sense 3), fr. L.
rotulus [GREEK]
little wheel, LL., a roll, dim. of L.
rota
a wheel. See
Roll
,
Verb.
, and cf.
Rôle
,
Rouleau
,
Roulette
.]
1.
The act of rolling, or state of being rolled;
as, the
roll
of a ball; the
roll
of waves
.
2.
That which rolls; a roller.
Specifically:
(a)
A heavy cylinder used to break clods.
Mortimer.
(b)
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
.
3.
That which is rolled up;
as, a
roll
of fat, of wool, paper, cloth, etc.
Specifically:
(a)
A document written on a piece of parchment, paper, or other materials which may be rolled up; a scroll.
Busy angels spread
The lasting
roll
, recording what we say.
Prior.
(b)
Hence, an official or public document; a register; a record; also, a catalogue; a list.
The
rolls
of Parliament, the entry of the petitions, answers, and transactions in Parliament, are extant.
Sir M. Hale.
The
roll
and list of that army doth remain.
Sir J. Davies.
(c)
A quantity of cloth wound into a cylindrical form;
as, a
roll
of carpeting; a
roll
of ribbon
.
(d)
A cylindrical twist of tobacco.
4.
A kind of shortened raised biscuit or bread, often rolled or doubled upon itself.
5.
(Naut.)
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.
6.
A heavy, reverberatory sound;
as, the
roll of
cannon, or of thunder
.
7.
The uniform beating of a drum with strokes so rapid as scarcely to be distinguished by the ear.
8.
Part; office; duty; role.
[Obs.]
L'Estrange.
Long roll
(Mil.)
,
a prolonged roll of the drums, as the signal of an attack by the enemy, and for the troops to arrange themselves in line.
–
Master of the rolls
.
See under
Master
.
–
Roll call
,
the act, or the time, of calling over a list names, as among soldiers.
–
Rolls of court
,
of parliament
(or of any public body),
the parchments or rolls on which the acts and proceedings of that body are engrossed by the proper officer, and which constitute the records of such public body.
–
To call the roll
,
to call off or recite a list or roll of names of persons belonging to an organization, in order to ascertain who are present or to obtain responses from those present.
Syn. – List; schedule; catalogue; register; inventory. See
List
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Roll

ROLL

,
Verb.
T.
[It is usual to consider this word as formed by contraction from the Latin rotula, a little wheel, from rota.]
1.
To move by turning on the surface, or with a circular motion in which all parts of the surface are successively applied to a plane; as, to roll a barrel or puncheon; to roll a stone or ball. Sisyphus was condemned to roll a stone to the top of a hill, which, when he had done so, rolled down again, and thus his punishment was eternal.
2.
To revolve; to turn on its axis; as, to roll a wheel or a planet.
3.
To move in a circular direction.
To dress, to troll the tongue and roll the eye.
4.
To wrap round on itself; to form into a circular or cylindrical body; as, to roll a piece of cloth; to roll a sheet of paper; to roll parchment; to roll tobacco.
5.
To enwrap; to bind or involve in a bandage or the like.
6.
To form by rolling into round masses.
7.
To drive or impel any body with a circular motion, or to drive forward with violence or in a stream. The ocean rolls its billows to the shore. A river rolls its water to the ocean.
8.
To spread with a roller or rolling pin; as, to roll paste.
9.
To produce a periodical revolution.
Heav'n shone and roll'd her motions.
10.
To press or level with a roller; as, to roll a field.
To roll one's self, to wallow. Mic. 1.

ROLL

, v.i.
1.
To move by turning on the surface, or with the successive application of all parts of the surface to a plane; as, a ball or a wheel rolls on the earth; a body rolls on an inclined plane.
2.
To move, turn or run on an axis; as a wheel. [In this sense, revolve is more generally used.
3.
To run on wheels.
And to the rolling chair is bound.
4.
To revolve; to perform a periodical revolution; as the rolling year. Ages roll away.
5.
To turn; to move circularly.
And his red eyeballs roll with living fire.
6.
To float in rough water; to be tossed about.
Twice ten tempestuous nights I roll'd -
7.
To move, as waves or billows, with alternate swells and depressions. Waves roll on waves.
8.
To fluctuate; to move tumultuously.
What diff'rent sorrows did within thee roll.
9.
To be moved with violence; to be hurled.
Down they fell by thousands, angel on archangel roll'd.
10.
To be formed into a cylinder or ball; as, the cloth rolls well.
11.
To spread under a roller or rolling pin. The paste rolls well.
12.
To wallow; to tumble; as, a horse rolls.
13.
To rock or move from side; as, a ship rolls in a calm.
14.
To beat a drum with strokes so rapid that they can scarcely be distinguished by the ear.

ROLL

,
Noun.
1.
The act of rolling, or state of being rolled; as the roll of a ball.
2.
The thing rolling.
3.
A mass made round; something like a ball or cylinder; as a roll of fat; a roll of wool.
4.
A roller; a cylinder of wood, iron or stone; as a roll to break clods.
5.
A quantity of cloth wound into a cylindrical form; as a roll of woolen or satin; a roll of lace.
6.
A cylindrical twist of tobacco.
7.
An official writing; a list; a register; a catalogue; as a muster-roll; a court roll.
8.
The beating of a drum with strokes so rapid as scarcely to be distinguished by the ear.
9.
Rolls of court, of parliament, or of any public body, are the parchments on which are engrossed, by the proper officer, the acts and proceedings of that body, and which being kept in rolls, constitute the records of such public body.
10.
In antiquity, a volume; a book consisting of leaf, bark, paper, skin or other material on which the ancients wrote, and which being kept rolled or folded, was called in Latin volume, from volvo, to roll. Hence.
11.
A chronicle; history; annals.
Nor names more noble graced the rolls of fame.
12.
Part; office; that is, round of duty, like turn. Obs.

Definition 2024

Roll

Roll

See also: roll

Luxembourgish

Noun

Roll f ‎(plural Rollen)

  1. role

roll

roll

See also: Roll

English

Verb

roll ‎(third-person singular simple present rolls, present participle rolling, simple past and past participle rolled)

  1. (ergative) 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.
    To roll a wheel, a ball, or a barrel.‎
    • Shakespeare
      And her foot, look you, is fixed upon a spherical stone, which rolls, and rolls, and rolls.
    • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses Chapter 13
      The gentleman aimed the ball once or twice and then threw it up the strand towards Cissy Caffrey but it rolled down the slope and stopped right under Gerty's skirt near the little pool by the rock.
  2. (intransitive) To turn over and over.
    The child will roll on the floor.‎
  3. To tumble in gymnastics; to do a summersault.
  4. (transitive) To wrap (something) round on itself; to form into a spherical or cylindrical body by causing to turn over and over.
    To roll a sheet of paper; to roll clay or putty into a ball.‎
  5. (transitive) To bind or involve by winding, as in a bandage; to enwrap; often with up.
    To roll up the map for shipping.‎
  6. (intransitive) To be wound or formed into a cylinder or ball.
    The cloth rolls unevenly; the snow rolls well.
  7. (ergative) To drive or impel forward with an easy motion, as of rolling.
    This river will roll its waters to the ocean.‎
  8. (ergative) To utter copiously, especially with sounding words; to utter with a deep sound; — often with forth, or out.
    To roll forth someone's praises; to roll out sentences.‎
  9. To press or level with a roller; to spread or form with a roll, roller, or rollers.
    to roll a field;  to roll paste;  to roll steel rails.‎
  10. (intransitive) To spread itself under a roller or rolling-pin.
    The pastry rolls well.
  11. (ergative) To move, or cause to be moved, upon, or by means of, rollers or small wheels.
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 5, in The Celebrity:
      We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine. We passed on the way the van of the guests from Asquith.
    • 2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly):
      A “moving platform” scheme […] is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. Local trains would use side-by-side rails to roll alongside intercity trains and allow passengers to switch trains by stepping through docking bays.
  12. (chiefly US, Canada, colloquial) To leave or begin a journey.
    I want to get there early; let's roll.‎
  13. (chiefly US, Canada, colloquial) To compete, especially with vigor.
    OK guys, we're only down by two points. Let's roll!‎
  14. To beat with rapid, continuous strokes, as a drum; to sound a roll upon.
  15. (geometry) 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 such a manner that at every instant the parts that have been in contact are equal.
  16. To turn over in one's mind; to revolve.
  17. (US, slang) To behave in a certain way; to adopt a general disposition toward a situation.
    I was going to kick his ass, but he wasn't worth getting all worked up over; I don't roll like that.‎
    • 2006, Chris McKenna, "Kids at party chant as police sergeant is beaten by angry teens", Times Herald-Record (Middletown, NY), Tuesday, November 21, .
      "This is how we roll in Spring Valley," one teen reportedly boasted.
    • 2001 September 11, Todd Beamer:
      Let's roll!
  18. (dice games, transitive, intransitive) To throw dice.
  19. (dice games, transitive) To roll dice such that they form a given pattern or total.
    If you roll doubles, you get an extra turn.‎
    With two dice, you're more likely to roll seven than ten.‎
  20. (role-playing games) To create a new character in a role-playing game, especially by using dice to determine properties.
    I'm gonna go and roll a new shaman tonight.‎
  21. (computing) To generate a random number.
  22. (nautical, of a vessel) To rotate on its fore-and-aft axis, causing its sides to go up and down. Compare with pitch.
  23. (transitive) To beat up.
    • 2006, Elizabeth Gaffney, Metropolis‎, page 422:
      They rolled him for his money, and that would have been that, but the guy tried to fight back.
  24. (transitive, slang) To cause to betray secrets or to testify for the prosecution.
    The feds rolled him by giving him a free pass for most of what he'd done.‎
  25. (intransitive, slang) To betray secrets.
    He rolled on those guys after being in jail two days.‎
  26. (slang) To be under the influence of MDMA (a psychedelic stimulant, also known as ecstasy).
    • 2000, Michael Sunstar, Underground Rave Dance, Writers Club Press, ISBN 9780595156115, page 15:
      Cindy replied, “Wow, that’s great. Did you try E at those parties?” Steel said, “Oh yeah. I was rolling hard at the Willy Wonka party.”
    • 2003, Karin Slaughter, A Faint Cold Fear (novel), HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0-688-17458-3, page 169:
      The crowd was rolling on Ecstasy, and the lights enhanced the experience. […] He would use it to keep his teeth from chattering while he was rolling.
    • a. 2007, unidentified Internet user quoted in Joseph A. Kotarba, “Music as a Feature of the Online Discussion of Illegal Drugs”, in Edward Murguía et al. (editors), Real Drugs in a Virtual World: Drug Discourse and Community Online, Lexington Books (2007), ISBN 978-0-7391-1455-1
      So the quesion is When you are rolling what gets you in that “ecstasy” state more: hard pounding energetic music or smoother and gentler music? Personally for me its gentler music because when I’m rolling my mind can’t really keep up with all the hard pounding intriquet sounds […]
  27. (intransitive, of a camera) To film.
    The cameras are rolling.‎
  28. (transitive, soccer) To slip past (a defender) with the ball.
    • 2012 April 15, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham 1-5 Chelsea”, in BBC:
      So it was against the run of play that their London rivals took the lead two minutes before the interval through Drogba. He rolled William Gallas inside the area before flashing a stunning finish high past keeper Carlo Cudicini.
    • 2014, Jacob Steinberg, "Wigan shock Manchester City in FA Cup again to reach semi-finals", The Guardian, 9 March 2014:
      Rolled far too easily by Marc-Antoine Fortuné, Demichelis compounded his error by standing on the striker's foot. In the absence of the injured Watson, Gómez converted the penalty.
  29. To have a rolling aspect.
    the hills rolled on‎
  30. To perform a periodical revolution; to move onward as with a revolution.
    The years roll on.
  31. To move, like waves or billows, with alternate swell and depression.
    • Prior
      what different sorrows did within thee roll
  32. To make a loud or heavy rumbling noise.
    The thunder rolled and the lightning flashed.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

roll ‎(plural rolls)

  1. The act of rolling, or state of being rolled.
    the roll of a ball
    Look at the roll of the waves.
  2. A forward or backward roll in gymnastics; going head over heels. A tumble.
  3. That which rolls; a roller.
    1. A heavy cylinder used to break clods.
    2. One of a set of revolving cylinders, or rollers, between which metal is pressed, formed, or smoothed, as in a rolling mill.
      to pass rails through the rolls
    3. That which is rolled up.
      a roll of fat, of wool, paper, cloth, etc.
    4. A document written on a piece of parchment, paper, or other materials which may be rolled up; a scroll.
      • Prior
        Busy angels spread / The lasting roll, recording what we say.
    5. Hence, an official or public document; a register; a record; also, a catalogue; a list.
      • Sir M. Hale
        The rolls of Parliament, the entry of the petitions, answers, and transactions in Parliament, are extant.
      • Sir J. Davies
        The roll and list of that army doth remain.
    6. A quantity of cloth wound into a cylindrical form.
      a roll of carpeting; a roll of ribbon
    7. A cylindrical twist of tobacco.
  4. A kind of shortened raised biscuit or bread, often rolled or doubled upon itself; see also bread roll.
  5. (nautical, aviation) The oscillating movement of a nautical vessel as it rotates from side to side, on its fore-and-aft axis, causing its sides to go up and down, as distinguished from the alternate rise and fall of bow and stern called pitching; or the equivalent in an aircraft.
  6. (nautical) The measure or extent to which a vessel rotates from side to side, on its fore-and-aft axis.
  7. A heavy, reverberatory sound.
    Hear the roll of cannon.
    Hear the roll of thunder.
  8. The uniform beating of a drum with strokes so rapid as scarcely to be distinguished by the ear.
  9. (obsolete) Part; office; duty; rôle.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of L'Estrange to this entry?)
  10. A measure of parchments, containing five dozen.
    • 1882, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, Volume 4, p. 594:
      Parchement is sold by the dozen, and by the roll of five dozens.
  11. The rotation angle about the longitudinal axis.
    Calculate the roll of that aircraft.
  12. The act of, or total resulting from, rolling one or more dice.
    Make your roll.
    Whoever gets the highest roll moves first.
  13. A winning streak of continuing luck, especially at gambling (and especially in the phrase on a roll).
    He is on a roll tonight.
  14. A training match for a fighting dog.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Swedish

Pronunciation

Noun

roll c

  1. role
  2. roll - the rotation angle about the longitudinal axis

Declension

Inflection of roll 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative roll rollen roller rollerna
Genitive rolls rollens rollers rollernas

Derived terms

  • (part): huvudroll, huvudrollsinnehavare, karaktärsroll, könsroll, rollfördelning, rollista, rollspel, spela någon roll , det spelar ingen roll, titelroll, yrkesroll
  • (rotation): tunnelroll

Etymology

From Middle High German rolle, from Old French rolle, from Latin rotula. Cognate with German Rolle, English role, French rôle.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʀol/
    • Rhymes: -ol

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