rotary motion of an object around its own axis
"wheels in axial rotation"
a long heavy sea wave as it advances towards the shore
"The captain ordered everyone to their stations as a massive roll of water crested and crashed against the hull."
photographic film rolled up inside a container to protect it from light
"The photographer carefully unrolled the canister of film that had been kept in its protective box since last week's shoot."
the sound of a drum (especially a snare drum) beaten rapidly and continuously
"The drummer kept up a relentless roll throughout the entire finale of the concert."
anything rolled up in cylindrical form
"The carpet was still rolled up tightly on its rack before being delivered to the living room."
walking with a swaying gait
"After her long hike, she tried to walk normally but kept rolling down the trail instead of taking steady steps."
a flight maneuver; aircraft rotates about its longitudinal axis without changing direction or losing altitude
"The pilot executed a perfect roll during the airshow, spinning the plane three times before leveling out smoothly."
The act or result of rolling, or state of being rolled.
"She unrolled the sleeping bag to reveal a cozy spot for camping under the stars."
That which is rolled up.
In plain English: A roll is a small, round loaf of bread that you can tear apart to make sandwiches.
"The dice rolled across the table and stopped on six."
emit, produce, or utter with a deep prolonged reverberating sound
"The thunder rolled"
"rolling drums"
move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
"The gypsies roamed the woods"
"roving vagabonds"
"the wandering Jew"
"The cattle roam across the prairie"
"the laborers drift from one town to the next"
"They rolled from town to town"
To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to move by turning on an axis; to impel forward by causing to turn over and over on a supporting surface.
"The heavy barrel rolled down the hill, bouncing over each bump in the dirt road until it came to a stop at the bottom."
In plain English: To roll means to move something by turning it over and over on its side or edge.
"The car rolled down the hill."
Usage: Use this verb when describing physical movement where an object turns continuously along its side, such as rolling down a hill or pinball. Distinguish it from "spin," which implies rotation around a fixed point without necessarily moving across a surface.
A diminutive of the male given name Roland.
"Roll, your brother is finally home from his deployment."
The word "roll" entered Middle English from Old French and Medieval Latin, where it originally meant to revolve or turn like a small wheel. It eventually replaced the native English term welt to describe this circular motion.