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

In 2012, The Criterion Collection released a restoration overseen by Cimino himself that reinstates key sequences, including a 20-minute prologue featuring John Hurt's graduation speech at Harvard, as well as the roller-skating scene in which Jeff Bridges plays a fiddle. —Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026

The new Kamakhya-Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper train features wide windows and amenities like air-conditioning, bench seats that transition into beds, family-sized berths, onboard catering, electric outlets, reading lights, and roller blinds. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 15 June 2026

After tying the knot in Dayton on Saturday, June 6, Aaron and Lacey Poston headed straight for their local roller skating rink to celebrate their wedding. —Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026

In Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Wilson’s slow roller down the line went through Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner’s legs. —Will Sammon, New York Times, 13 June 2026

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
• lint roller
• road roller
• rock and roller
• roller bearing
• roller-coaster
• roller rink
• roller skate
• roller towel
• stone roller

Rhymes for roller

• bowler
• dolor
• molar
• polar
• solar
• soler
• stroller
• troller
• volar
• ambipolar
• areolar
• bronchiolar

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