roll: Meaning and Definition of
roll
Pronunciation: (rōl), [key]
—v.t.
- to cause to move along a surface by revolving or turning over and over, as a cask, a ball, or a hoop.
- to move along on wheels or rollers; convey in a wheeled vehicle.
- to drive, impel, or cause to flow onward with a sweeping or undulating motion: The wind rolled the waves high on the beach.
- to utter or give forth with a full, flowing, continuous sound: rolling his orotund phrases.
- to trill:r's. to roll one's
- to cause to revolve or turn over or over and over: to roll oneself on one's face.
- to turn around in different directions or from side to side and top to bottom: He smirked and rolled his eyes.
- to cause to sway or rock from side to side, as a ship.
- to wrap (something) around an axis, around upon itself, or into a cylindrical shape, ball, or the like: to roll string.
- to make by forming a tube or cylinder: to roll a cigarette.
- to spread out flat (something curled up) (often fol. by out): He rolled the map out on the table.
- to wrap, enfold, or envelop, as in some covering: to roll a child in a blanket.
- to spread out, level, smooth, compact, or the like, as with a rolling pin, roller, the hands, etc.: to roll dough; to roll a tennis court.
- to form (metal) in a rolling mill.
- to tumble (metal pieces and abrasives) in a box or barrel in such a way that their relative positions remain the same.
- to beat (a drum) with rapid, continuous strokes.
- (in certain games, as craps) to cast, or throw (dice).
- to apply (ink) with a roller or series of rollers.
- to rob, esp. by going through the pockets of a victim who is either asleep or drunk.
- to reduce (the price of a commodity, wages, etc.) to a former level, usually in response to government action.
- rolling in money.
- to luxuriate in; abound in:rolling in money.
- to go to bed; retire:They would roll in later and later every night.
- to mix and average the cost of (a higher-priced commodity or item) with that of a cheaper one so as to increase the retail price.
- to add:Labor wants to roll in periodic increases with their wage demands.
- to arrive, esp. in large numbers or quantity:When do my dividends start rolling in?
- to roll out dough.
- to spread out or flatten:to roll out dough.
- Informal.to arise from bed; get up:It was nearly impossible to roll out on the first day back after vacation.
- Football.to execute a rollout.
- Informal.to introduce; unveil:a TV advertising campaign to roll out the new car.
- to roll up a large vote.
- to accumulate; collect:to roll up a large vote.
- to increase.
- to arrive in a conveyance:He rolled up to the front door in a chauffeur-driven limousine.
- See (def. 4).
—n.
- a document of paper, parchment, or the like, that is or may be rolled up, as for storing; scroll.
- a list, register, or catalog, esp. one containing the names of the persons belonging to a company, class, society, etc.
- anything rolled up in a ringlike or cylindrical form: a roll of wire.
- a number of papers or other items rolled up together.
- a length of cloth, wallpaper, or the like, rolled up in cylindrical form (often forming a definite measure).
- a cylindrical or rounded mass of something: rolls of fat.
- some article of cylindrical or rounded form, as a molding.
- a cylindrical piece upon which something is rolled along to facilitate moving.
- a cylinder serving as a core upon which something is rolled up.
- a roller with which something is spread out, leveled, crushed, smoothed, compacted, or the like.
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- thin cake spread with jelly or the like and rolled up.
- a small cake of bread, originally and still often rolled or doubled on itself before baking.
- meat rolled up and cooked.
- the act or process or an instance of rolling.
- undulation, as of a surface: the roll of a prairie.
- a sonorous or rhythmical flow of words.
- a deep, prolonged sound, as of thunder: the deep roll of a breaking wave.
- the trill of certain birds, esp. of the roller canary.
- the continuous sound of a drum rapidly beaten.
- a rolling motion, as of a ship.
- a rolling or swaying gait.
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- a single, complete rotation of an airplane about the axis of the fuselage with little loss of altitude or change of direction.
- (of an aircraft or rocket) the act of rolling.
- the angular displacement caused by rolling.
- He took out an impressive roll and paid the check with a $100 bill.
- paper currency carried folded or rolled up:He took out an impressive roll and paid the check with a $100 bill.
- bankroll; funds:People were encouraged to shoot their rolls on mining speculation.
- (in various dice games)
- a single cast of or turn at casting the dice.
- the total number of pips or points made by a single cast; score or point.
- She's been on a roll since taking that course on sales techniques.
- (in a gambling game) having a continuing winning streak.
- enjoying continuing good luck or success:She's been on a roll since taking that course on sales techniques.
- an instance of sexual intercourse.
- to remove from membership or practice, as to disbar: He will surely be struck off the rolls if this conduct continues.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.