roll

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
roll/rəʊl/

▶verb

• 1 move by turning over and over on an axis: the car rolled down into a ditch.

  ■ turn over to face a different direction.

  ■ (of a moving ship, aircraft, or vehicle) sway on an axis parallel to the direction of motion.

  ■ N. Amer. informal overturn (a vehicle).

  ■ throw (a die or dice).

• 2 (with reference to a vehicle or other wheeled object) move along.

  ■ (of a drop of liquid) flow.

  ■ (of waves, smoke, cloud, or fog) move or flow forward with an undulating motion.

  ■ (usu. as adj. rolling) (of land) extend in gentle undulations.

  ■ (of credits for a film or television programme) be displayed as if moving on a roller up the screen.

• 3 (often roll something up) turn (something flexible) over and over on itself to form a cylindrical or spherical shape.

  ■ curl up tightly.

• 4 (with reference to a machine, device, or system) begin operating.

  ■ (of time) elapse steadily: the years rolled by.

  ■ (as adj. rolling) steady and continuous: a rolling programme of reforms.

• 5 flatten (something) by passing a roller over it or by passing it between rollers.

• 6 (of a loud, deep sound) reverberate.

  ■ pronounce (a consonant, typically an r) with a trill.

  ■ (of words) flow mellifluously.

• 7 informal rob (a drunk or sleeping person).

▶noun

• 1 a cylinder formed by rolling flexible material.

  ■ a cylindrical mass or a number of items arranged in a cylindrical shape.

  ■ an item of food made by wrapping a flat sheet of pastry, cake, meat, or fish round a filling.

  ■ N. Amer. & Austral. a quantity of banknotes rolled together.

• 2 a rolling movement.

  ■ a gymnastic exercise in which the body is rolled into a tucked position and turned in a forward or backward circle.

• 3 a prolonged, deep, reverberating sound.

  ■ Music one of the basic patterns of drumming, consisting of a sustained, rapid alternation of single or double strokes of each stick.

• 4 a very small loaf of bread.

• 5 a roller used to shape metal in a rolling mill.

• 6 an official list or register of names.

  ■ the total numbers on such a list.

  ■ a document, typically an official record, historically kept in scroll form.

– phrases
a roll in the hay (or the sack) informal an act of sexual intercourse.
be rolling in it (or money) informal be very rich.
on a roll informal experiencing a prolonged spell of success or good luck.
roll of honour a list of people whose deeds are honoured, or who have died in battle.
roll up one's sleeves prepare to fight or work.
roll with the punches

• 1 (of a boxer) move one's body away from an opponent's blows so as to lessen the impact.

• 2 adapt oneself to adverse circumstances.

strike someone off the roll Brit. debar a solicitor from practising as a penalty for dishonesty or other misconduct.

– phrasal verbs
roll something back reverse the progress or reduce the importance of something.
roll in informal

• 1 be received in large amounts.

• 2 arrive in a casual way in spite of being late.

roll on Brit. informal used to indicate that one wants a time or event to come quickly.
roll something out officially launch a new product.
roll something over Finance contrive or extend a particular financial arrangement.
roll up informal arrive.
roll something up Military drive the flank of an enemy line back and round so that the line is shortened or surrounded.

– derivatives
rollable adjective.

– origin ME: from OFr. rolle (n.), roller (v.), from L. rotulus ‘a roll’, var. of rotula ‘little wheel’, dimin. of rota.