ROLL | Meaning, Definition In Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of roll in English rollverb uk /rəʊl/ us /roʊl/

roll verb (MOVE)

Add to word list Add to word list B2 [ I or T, usually + adv/prep ] to (cause something to) move somewhere by turning over and over or from side to side: The vase rolled off the edge of the table and smashed. The dog rolled over onto its back. I rolled the wheel along the side of the road back to the car. B2 [ I or T, usually + adv/prep ] to move somewhere easily and without sudden movements: A tear rolled down his cheek. A wave of cigarette smoke rolled towards me. The piano's on wheels, so we can roll it into the room. [ I ] If an aircraft or a ship rolls, it leans to one side and then to the other because of the wind or waves. [ I ] If a machine is rolling, it is operating: cameras roll Just as the television cameras started rolling, it began to pour down with rain. C2 [ T ] If you roll your eyes, you move them so that you are looking up, to show that you consider someone or something stupid or silly: roll in When he suggested they should buy a new car, she rolled her eyes in disbelief.

• You roll the dice and whoever gets the highest score goes first.
• An apple rolled out of the bag.
• He rolled the ball back to the goalkeeper.
• How do we decide who rolls first?
• The ship was rolling violently from side to side.

Revolving, rotating and spinning

• around
• around and around idiom
• backspin
• birl
• centrifugal
• pivot
• reel
• revolving
• rotary
• rotate
• rotation
• rotational
• spiral
• swim
• swivel
• swizzle
• twirl
• twirling
• twirly
• windmill

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Advancing and moving forward Air travel: aviation Sailing & boating Slanting, sloping, leaning, tilting Machines - Functioning Grimacing and frowning

roll verb (TURN OVER)

B1 [ T usually + adv/prep ] to (cause something to) turn over onto itself to form the shape of a ball or a tube: roll something into something He rolled the clay into a ball in his hands.roll something (up) into something As I got closer, the hedgehog rolled itself (up) into a ball. [ T ] to make a cigarette by wrapping a piece of paper around some tobacco [ I or T, + adv/prep ] to fold over a piece of clothing or material to make it shorter: roll back We rolled back the carpet to see the floorboards.

• He rolled a cigarette while he was waiting.
• You should roll your sleeves up if you don't want them to get dirty.
• By rolling up his sleeping bag he was able to fit it into his rucksack.
• Roll the mixture in your hands and then dip it into the batter.
• She rolled up the newspaper and used it to swat the fly.

Bending, twisting and curving

• arch your back
• ball up phrasal verb
• bendy
• bent
• bowed
• distortion
• entwine
• flex
• flexion
• flexural
• snaky
• swirling
• swirlingly
• swoopy
• tangle
• wrap something around someone/something phrasal verb
• wriggle
• wristy
• writhe
• zigzag

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Tobacco & smoking Making things more or less smooth or straight

roll verb (SMOOTH)

[ T ] to make something smooth and flat: [ + obj + adj ] She borrowed a garden roller to roll the grass flat.roll (out) When you have rolled (out) the pastry, place it in a pie dish. Making things more or less smooth or straight

• bunch (something) up phrasal verb
• coarsen
• coarsening
• crease
• creased
• crinkle
• fold
• foldaway
• folding
• furl
• grooming
• interfold
• isolator
• ruck (something) up phrasal verb
• ruffle
• rumple
• sandpaper
• screw
• stabilizer
• wrinkle

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roll verb (SOUND)

[ I ] to make a continuous, repeated, deep sound: drums roll The drums rolled as the acrobat walked along the tightrope. [ T ] If you roll your r's, you pronounce them with your tongue moving quickly and repeatedly against the top of the mouth: When you speak Spanish you roll your r's. Sounds made by objects, movement or impact

• auditory feedback
• bang around phrasal verb
• bleep
• boop
• chuff
• clack
• clap
• clap along
• crashing
• patter
• peal
• rumble
• soughing
• spit
• susurration
• susurrus
• thrum
• thunk
• ting-a-ling
• whisper

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Ways of speaking

Idioms

how sb rolls rolled into one be rolling in it be rolling in the aisles roll on the weekend, five o'clock, etc. roll up! roll up your sleeves roll with the punches

Phrasal verbs

roll around roll back something roll something back roll by roll in roll (something) out roll over roll (something) over something roll something up roll up rollnoun uk /rəʊl/ us /roʊl/

roll noun (TUBE)

B2 [ C ] a piece of film, paper, or cloth that is rolled into the shape of a tube: a roll of carpet a toilet roll (= a roll of toilet paper)   Dave King/Dorling Kindersley/GettyImages [ C ] If a person or animal has rolls of fat on their body, that person or animal is very fat: The dog had rolls of fat along its neck.

• a roll of film
• UK loo roll
• a roll of Sellotape
• a roll of wallpaper
• a roll of clingfilm

Spherical, circular and annular objects

• air bubble
• ball
• bead
• bobbin
• bobble
• cone
• cylindrically
• disc
• disk
• game ball
• hoop
• knob
• papillate
• pearl
• pelleted
• ring
• sphere
• spheroid
• spool
• tubal

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Animal physiology: fat or well-built

roll noun (BREAD)

B1 [ C ] (also bread roll) a small round loaf of bread for one person: Would you like a roll and butter with your soup?cheese/ham/tuna roll UK I bought a cheese/ham/tuna roll (= a sandwich made with a roll) for lunch.   Westend61/GettyImages Bread

• Anadama bread
• arepa
• bagel
• baguette
• bannock
• ciabatta
• cinnamon bun
• cob
• corn bread
• corn pone
• hot cross bun
• iced bun
• injera
• johnnycake
• kaiser roll
• quick bread
• roti
• rye bread
• sippet
• sliced bread

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roll noun (LIST)

[ C ] an official list of names: electoral roll Is your name on the electoral roll (= the list of people who can vote)?  take/call (the) roll mainly US If you take/call the roll, you read aloud the names of all the people on the list to make certain that they are present: The teacher called the roll to see if any students were absent. See more Lists and catalogues

• agenda
• archivist
• bibliographical
• bibliographically
• birthday honours
• glycaemic index
• hit list
• honor roll
• honours list
• indices
• recital
• registrable
• roll of honour
• roster
• rota
• the White Pages
• waiting list
• wedding list
• whitelist
• wish list

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roll noun (MOVEMENT)

[ C ] an act of rolling on the ground: The dog went for a roll in the grass. He performed three full rolls when fouled by an opponent.   Spaces Images/Blend Images/GettyImages a roll in the hay humorous sexual activity that is quick and enjoyable and does not involve serious feelings: I wouldn't sacrifice my marriage for a roll in the hay with a waitress. See more [ U ] The roll of a ship or aircraft is its movement from side to side in the water or air. Revolving, rotating and spinning

• around
• around and around idiom
• backspin
• birl
• centrifugal
• pivot
• reel
• revolving
• rotary
• rotate
• rotation
• rotational
• spiral
• swim
• swivel
• swizzle
• twirl
• twirling
• twirly
• windmill

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Air travel: aviation Sailing & boating Slanting, sloping, leaning, tilting

roll noun (SOUND)

[ C usually singular ] a continuous repeated deep sound: drum roll Can you ask the drummer to play a drum roll as the speaker enters the hall?roll of thunder It began to rain and there was a distant roll of thunder. Sounds made by objects, movement or impact

• auditory feedback
• bang around phrasal verb
• bleep
• boop
• chuff
• clack
• clap
• clap along
• crashing
• patter
• peal
• rumble
• soughing
• spit
• susurration
• susurrus
• thrum
• thunk
• ting-a-ling
• whisper

See more results »

Idiom

be on a roll (Definition of roll from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

roll | American Dictionary

rollverb us /roʊl/

roll verb (MOVE)

Add to word list Add to word list [ I/T ] to move in a direction by turning over and over or by traveling on wheels, or to cause something to move in this way: [ I ] The coin rolled off the table. [ T ] I rolled the spare tire around to the side of the car. [ I ] Tears rolled down his cheeks. Bob rolled over (= turned his body while lying down) onto his stomach. [ I/T ] If you roll a car window up or down, you turn a handle or press a button that opens or closes the window.

roll verb (FORM ROUNDED SHAPE)

[ T ] to form something soft into a rounded shape: He rolled the clay into a ball. [ M ] She rolled up her pants so they wouldn’t get wet.

roll verb (SOUND)

[ I/T ] to make a continuous repeated sound: [ I ] Thunder rolled in the distance.

Idioms

(all) rolled into one rolling in the aisles roll out the red carpet (for someone) roll up your sleeves roll your eyes

Phrasal verbs

roll around roll back something roll in roll out something roll out something rollnoun us /roʊl/

roll noun (LIST)

[ C ] an official list of names: a roll of eligible voters

roll noun (BREAD)

[ C ] a small loaf of bread

roll noun (MOVEMENT)

[ C/U ] the movement of something in a direction by turning over and over or by traveling on wheels: [ C ] You have to allow for the roll of the ball when it lands after you hit it.

roll noun (SOUND)

[ C usually sing ] a continuous repeated sound: a drum roll

roll noun (ROUNDED SHAPE)

[ C ] a long piece of something that bends, formed into a cylinder: a roll of film/ tape/aluminum foil [ C ] A roll is also a rounded mass of something: rolls of fat

Idiom

on a roll (Definition of roll from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

roll | Business English

rollverb uk /rəʊl/ us  roll off the assembly/production line Add to word list Add to word list to be produced in a factory: The new vehicles roll off the assembly line in August. The company's first locally made vehicle will roll off the production line within a year.

Phrasal verbs

roll sth back roll in roll out roll sth over roll sth up (Definition of roll from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of roll

roll A suitable mechanism with gear trains has been designed for performing the jaw of shoulder and the roll of wrist. From the Cambridge English Corpus The single wheel has three resistance forces during the steering - the contact frictional force, the wheel rolling resistance and the scrubbing torque. From the Cambridge English Corpus The sharp spectral roll-off in this range exaggerates the ordinal error for a fixed abscissa. From the Cambridge English Corpus A second way in which an opposition party may avoid being rolled is by exercising institutional veto or delay powers with which it is endowed. From the Cambridge English Corpus A certain 'familialization' of the councils can be ascertained, with some family names appearing on the rolls for generation after generation. From the Cambridge English Corpus Curves 1 and 2 are two extremes of observed trajectories stabilizing to roll cells with a negative flow direction. From the Cambridge English Corpus The intervention group was a closed cohort group where no rolling admissions were allowed into the group after treatment had commenced. From the Cambridge English Corpus Consider a rotating spherical target, which rolls down along the layering channel. From the Cambridge English Corpus For large fluid depths and small temperature differences only circular plan-form rolls were observed. From the Cambridge English Corpus When we walk, the feet take us forward, rolling slowly, yet linear and horizontal, helped by the eyes leading us on. From the Cambridge English Corpus Let's assume that the desired body roll angle with reference to the vertical is zero (upright posture). From the Cambridge English Corpus Ten leaves per plot were cut early in the morning (before rolling) and immediately transported to the laboratory. From the Cambridge English Corpus With an appropriate local control at the stance-ankle roll joint, the algorithm was successfully implemented to achieve lateral balance without the need of learning. From the Cambridge English Corpus By sheer accident, an empty trolley, nobody aboard, is starting to roll down a certain track. From the Cambridge English Corpus For selection of roll-call votes, see note 72. From the Cambridge English Corpus See all examples of roll These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with roll

roll

These are words often used in combination with roll.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

membership rollThe church had 70 members at this stage; when the membership roll was inaugurated in 1938 there were 52. From Wikipedia This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.   muster rollWe have the muster roll in that area. From the Hansard archive Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0   piano rollAn example is the familiar scrolling 'piano roll' display which features in most sequencing software. From the Cambridge English Corpus   These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. See all collocations with roll What is the pronunciation of roll?

Translations of roll

in Chinese (Traditional) 移動, （使）翻滾, （使）滾動… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 移动, （使）翻滚, （使）滚动… See more in Spanish rodar, hacer rodar, enrollar… See more in Portuguese rolar, enrolar, enrolar-se… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian लोळणे, घरंगळणे, ढकलणे… See more 転がる, ～を転がす, （糸・紙など）を巻く… See more yuvarlanmak/yuvarlamak, top, rulo… See more (faire) rouler, rouler, (se) rouler… See more rodar, rodolar, fer rodar… See more rol, broodje, het rollen… See more (எதையாவது ஏற்படுத்த) எங்காவது திரும்புவதன் மூலம் அல்லது பக்கத்திலிருந்து பக்கமாக நகர்த்தவும், எங்காவது எளிதாகவும் திடீர் அசைவுகளும் இல்லாமல் நகர்த்த, ஒரு பந்து அல்லது குழாயின் வடிவத்தை உருவாக்க தன்னைத் தானே திருப்பிக் கொள்ள (எதையாவது ஏற்படுத்துதல்)… See more लुढ़काना, (बिना कठिनाई के) लुढ़काना, (गोलाकार) घूमाना या घुमाना… See more ખસેડવા માટે, ક્યાંક ખસેડવા માટે, સરળતાથી અને અચાનક હલનચલન વિના… See more rulle, -rulle, bolle… See more rulle, småfranska, kuvertbröd… See more gulungan, roti yang digulung, berguling… See more die Rolle, die Roulade, das Rollen… See more rulle, trille, rulle seg… See more لڑھکنا, چکر کاٹنا, ڈھلکنا… See more сувій, кругла булочка, качання… See more దొర్లు / దొర్లించు, దొర్లు/ ఎక్కడికైనా కుదుపులు లేకుండా సులువుగా కదులు, చుట్టు… See more গড়ানো, গড়িয়ে যাওয়া, গড়িয়ে গড়িয়ে পড়া বা নিয়ে যাওয়া… See more role, rohlík, veka… See more gulungan, sejenis roti, berguling-guling… See more ม้วน, ก้อนขนมปัง, การกลิ้ง… See more súc, cuộn, ổ bánh mỳ nhỏ… See more zwijać, rolka, bułka… See more 구르다, 둥글게 말다, (부드럽게) 굴러가다… See more rotolare, arrotolare, rotolo… See more Need a translator?

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role reversal role-playing game roleplay Rolfing roll roll (something) out phrasal verb roll around phrasal verb roll back something phrasal verb roll bar {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

More meanings of roll

• cinnamon roll
• honor roll
• roll call
• re-roll
• roll-on roll-off
• roll-on
• roll-up

See all meanings

• roll around phrasal verb
• roll back something phrasal verb
• roll in phrasal verb
• roll out something phrasal verb
• roll by phrasal verb
• roll out phrasal verb
• roll (something) out phrasal verb

See all phrasal verb meanings

• (all) rolled into one idiom
• on a roll idiom
• roll your eyes idiom
• roll out the red carpet (for someone) idiom
• roll up your sleeves idiom
• rolling in the aisles idiom
• roll up! idiom

See all idioms and phrases

Word of the Day

reticent

UK /ˈret.ɪ.sənt/ US /ˈret̬.ə.sənt/

unwilling to speak about your thoughts or feelings

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• English   
  • Verb 
    • roll (MOVE)
    • roll (TURN OVER)
    • roll (SMOOTH)
    • roll (SOUND)
  • Noun 
    • roll (TUBE)
    • roll (BREAD)
    • roll (LIST)
    • take/call (the) roll
    • roll (MOVEMENT)
    • a roll in the hay
    • roll (SOUND)
• American   
  • Verb 
    • roll (MOVE)
    • roll (FORM ROUNDED SHAPE)
    • roll (SOUND)
  • Noun 
    • roll (LIST)
    • roll (BREAD)
    • roll (MOVEMENT)
    • roll (SOUND)
    • roll (ROUNDED SHAPE)
• Business   
  • Verb 
    • roll off the assembly/production line
• Examples
• Collocations

• Translations
• Grammar
• All translations

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