paint roller

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of paint roller¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Videos released Tuesday show the moment Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shot and injured a La Puente man who was having a mental health crisis and holding a paint roller in his hand.

From Los Angeles Times

“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

Small items can be hidden inside a paint roller that you, forgot to clean.

From Seattle Times

You can still hit the opposing team with a well-placed snipe, but you can also run around the level with a giant paint roller making sure everything is the right shade of blue.

From The Verge

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

From Washington Post