Definition of: roll

(rōl) v.i.
1. To move forward upon a surface by turning round and round, as the wheel of a vehicle.
2. To move or be moved on wheels: The cart rolled down the hill.
3. To rotate wholly or partially: Her eyes rolled with pleasure.
4. To assume the shape of a ball or cylinder by turning over and over upon itself.
5. To move or appear to move in undulations or swells, as waves or plains.
6. To sway or move from side to side, as a ship: to pitch and roll.
7. To walk with a swaying motion; swagger; also, to stagger.
8. To make a sound as of heavy, rolling wheels; rumble: Thunder rolled across the sky.
9. To become spread or flat because of pressure applied by a roller, etc.. The metal rolls easily.
10. To perform a periodic revolution, as the sun.
11. To move ahead; progress.
—v.t.
12. To cause to move along a surface by turning round and round, as a ball, log, etc.
13. To move, push forward, etc., on wheels or rollers.
14. To impel or cause to move onward with a steady, surging motion: The ocean rolls its waves upon the shore.
15. To rotate, as the eyes.
16. To impart a swaying motion to.
17. To spread or make flat by means of a roller.
18. To wrap round and round upon itself.
19. To cause to assume the shape of a ball or cylinder by means of rotation and pressure: to roll a cigarette.
20. To wrap or envelop in or as in a covering.
21. To utter with a trilling sound: to roll one's r's.
22. To emit in a full and swelling manner, as musical sounds.
23. To beat a roll upon, as a drum.
24. To cast (dice) in the game of craps.
25. Printing To apply ink to (a form) by means of a roller or rollers. See synonyms under REVOLVE.
—to roll back To cause (prices or wages) to return to a previous, lower level, as by government order.
—to roll in
1. To arrive.
2. To gather.
3. Colloq. To luxuriate; wallow.
—to roll out
1. To unroll.
2. Colloq. To leave.
3. To flatten by means of rollers.
—to roll up
1. To assume or cause to assume the shape of a ball or cylinder by turning over and over upon itself.
2. To accumulate; amass: to roll up large profits.
—noun
1. Anything rolled up in cylindrical form: a roll of parchment.
2. Hence, an official writing, especially a list of names or a register.
3. U.S. Slang A wad of paper money; also, money in general.
4. A long strip, as of ribbon or carpet, rolled upon itself or upon a core: sometimes of an agreed length used as a measure of quantity.
5. Any food rolled up in preparation for use, as bread by rolling up pieces of dough, meat for roasting, or a pudding or cake formed in a similar way: a jelly roll.
6. A roller; particularly, a cylinder in fixed bearings used as a roller.
7. A reverberation, as of thunder.
8. A trill.
9. The rapid beating of a drum to make its sound continuous.
10. A rolling gait or movement; also, motion from side to side, as of a ship in a seaway.
11. Aeron. A single turn of an air-plane about its long axis without change in the direction of flight: also called barrel roll; when performed quickly, called a snap roll.
12. A strip of leather or other material fitted with pockets to hold tools or toilet articles, etc., around which it is rolled and fastened. See synonyms under RECORD. ♦ Homophone: role. [<OF roller <L rotula <rota wheel]