roller

1 of 2

noun (1)

roll·​er ˈrō-lər 

1

a

: a revolving cylinder over or on which something is moved or which is used to press, shape, spread, or smooth something

b

: a cylinder or rod on which something (such as a shade) is rolled up

2

a

: a long heavy ocean wave

b

: tumbler sense 1b

3

: one that rolls or performs a rolling operation

4

: a slowly rolling ground ball

roller

2 of 2

noun (2)

rol·​ler ˈrō-lər 

1

: any of various mostly brightly colored nonpasserine Old World birds (family Coraciidae) that perform rolling aerial dives during courtship displays

2

: a canary having a song in which the notes are soft and run together

Examples of roller in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Dances, roller skating, rock shows … there's plenty to see. —Carrie Shepherd, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024

More often than not—aside from my cold plunge era—this looks like a morning facial massage with a cryo roller for me. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024

Lopez shared a carousel of photos in her post, including a close-up selfie, a candid shot of her mom in hair rollers and a throwback photo of the mother-daughter duo all dressed up. —Daniela Avila, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024

With its minimalist and practical design, this roller soothes pain, de-puffs, and de-stresses, all at a fraction of the cost of other options. —Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

German, from rollen to roll, reverberate, from Middle French roller — more at roll

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing roller

• high roller
• leaf roller
• road roller
• rock and roller
• roller bearing
• roller coaster
• roller rink
• roller skate
• roller towel
• stone roller

Kids Definition

roller

noun

roll·​er

ˈrō-lər

1

a

: a turning cylinder over or on which something is moved or which is used to press, shape, spread, or smooth something

b

: a rod on which something (as a map or a shade) is rolled up

c

: a small wheel (as of a roller skate)

2

: a long heavy wave on the sea

3

: one that rolls or rolls over

Medical Definition

roller

see tongue roller