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

The Cubs took advantage of a miscue The Cubs had runners on the corners with two outs in the fifth when Hoerner hit a slow roller to third. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

With the Yankees leading the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 and Jim Gantner on first for the Brewers, John charged a slow roller by Jeffrey Leonard to the first-base side of the mound. — Michael Kupper, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Premium units offer the best mountain views, while the Explorer Suite includes a complimentary AllTrails subscription and a foam roller. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026

With two outs, Junior Caminero hit a slow roller on a 1-2 slider that third baseman Encarnacion-Strand could not field cleanly for a run-scoring infield single. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 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