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

Happily, recent years have brought some promising signs of this species’ return—and with better food, this time, as at the revamped El Quijote, in the Chelsea Hotel, a dusty old paella joint reborn, in recent years, as a sparkly high-roller dinner spot. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025

For an affordable at-home spa moment, this ice roller and qua sha set is perfect for depuffing and cooling the skin, while the ever-popular Revlon Oil-Absorbing Face Roller provides a quick and discreet way to manage shine throughout the day. —Tabitha Britt, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2025

Then, being a better decision-maker with the ball, being a better roller, good reads off the short roll. —David Aldridge, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025

Then, Argentine attacker Nicolas Fernandez’s roller was denied by the right post at the half-hour mark after racing past and cutting by centerback Maximiliano ‘Peluca’ Falcon. —Franco Panizo, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025

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

Rhymes for roller

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

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