paint roller

American  

noun

1. a roller of absorbent material, mounted on a handle, that is rolled in a trough of paint and then rolled over a flat surface to be painted.

---

Etymology

Origin of paint roller

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Purchase a paint roller with a 3/8-inch nap.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2024

“Imagining someone with a paint roller painting over those walls just made me really sad,” said Wong during a recent video call.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2024

In 1990, he picked up a paint roller and became an anti-tobacco vigilante.

From Slate • Nov. 30, 2023

Use it as a can or bottle opener, a scraper, a paint roller cleaner, a screwdriver and more.

From Washington Post • May 24, 2022

I pointed the paint roller at myself, splashing speckles of green on my T-shirt.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda