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.

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Etymology

Origin of paint roller

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

An attorney for Orellana’s family said he was having a mental health episode and carrying a metal paint roller.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2024

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

From Slate • Nov. 30, 2023

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 • Sep. 7, 2022

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