roach

[rohch]

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noun

a cockroach.

Slang. the butt of a marijuana cigarette.

Origin of roach

1830–40, Americanism; 1940–45, Americanism for def 2; short form of cockroach

roach

[rohch]

noun, plural roach·es, (especially collectively) roach.

a European freshwater fish, Rutilus rutilus, of the carp family.

any of various similar fishes, as the golden shiner.

a freshwater sunfish of the genus Lepomis, found in eastern North America.

Origin of roach

1275–1325; Middle English roche < Old French < ?

roach

[rohch]

noun

Nautical.

the upward curve at the foot of a square sail.
(loosely) a convexity given to any of the edges of a sail; round.

hair combed up from the forehead or temples in a roll or high curve.

verb (used with object)

to clip or cut off (the mane of a horse); hog.

to comb (hair) into a roach.

Origin of roach

First recorded in 1785–95; origin uncertain

Roach

[rohch]

noun

MaxwellMax, 1924–2007, U.S. jazz drummer and bandleader.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for roach

dope, cannabis, hashish, tea, hemp, herb, bhang, hash, joint, reefer, weed, ganja, doobie, sinsemilla

Examples from the Web for roach

Contemporary Examples of roach

Will crunchy parents be running to the pet stores for roach farms?
More Germs, Less Asthma? Study Shows Babies Exposed to Bacteria and Dander at Less Risk
Brandy Zadrozny
June 6, 2014
You are what you eat,” Roach writes, “but more than that, you are how you eat.
How to Think With Your Gut
Mindy Farabee
April 9, 2013
“Sure,” the one guy says, and passes over a roach (the end of a joint).
Getting a Mile High: Legally Stoned in Colorado After Initiative 64
Winston Ross
January 19, 2013
Each bowed his or her head, and Roach responded in turn with a warm, toothy smile.
Buddhist Retreat’s Death Saga
Lizzie Crocker
July 10, 2012
One morning after meditation, Roach sought me out amidst commotion in the room.
Buddhist Retreat’s Death Saga
Lizzie Crocker
July 10, 2012

Historical Examples of roach

Not a bit of it, Roach; Mark says the fellow mistook you for Cassidy.
The O'Donoghue
Charles James Lever
Come, come, Roach, don't be angry; it's all past and over now; the fellow did it for the best.
The O'Donoghue
Charles James Lever
Structurally, said Dr. Boreas of Leamington, structurally you are as sound as a roach.
The Bramleighs Of Bishop's Folly
Charles James Lever
A roach snapped idly at him as he floundered past the shoal.
"Wee Tim'rous Beasties"
Douglas English
Besides she had got it into her head that Leonora, who was as sound as a roach, was consumptive.
The Good Soldier
Ford Madox Ford

British Dictionary definitions for roach

roach

noun plural roaches or roach

a European freshwater cyprinid food fish, Rutilus rutilus, having a deep compressed body and reddish ventral and tail fins

any of various similar fishes

Word Origin for roach

C14: from Old French roche, of obscure origin

roach

noun

short for cockroach

slang the butt of a cannabis cigarette

roach

noun nautical

the amount by which the leech of a fore-and-aft sail projects beyond an imaginary straight line between the clew and the head

the curve at the foot of a square sail

Word Origin for roach

C18: of unknown origin

Roach

noun

Hal, full name Harald Eugene Roach . 1892–1992, US film producer, whose company produced numerous comedy films in the 1920s and 1930s, including those featuring Harold Lloyd and Laurel and Hardy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for roach

n.1

shortened form of cockroach, 1837, on mistaken notion that it was a compound. In contemporary writing said to be from a polite desire to avoid the sexual connotation in the first syllable. Meaning "butt of a marijuana cigarette" is first recorded 1938, perhaps from resemblance to the insect, but perhaps a different word entirely.

n.2

small freshwater fish, c.1200, from Old French roche (13c.), of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Germanic source. Applied to similar-looking fish in North America.