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• roach
  roach

  noun

  a cockroach.
• Roach
  Roach

  noun

  Maxwell Max, 1924–2007, U.S. jazz drummer and bandleader.

roach

¹ American  

[rohch] / roʊtʃ /

noun

1. a cockroach.

2. Slang. the butt of a marijuana cigarette.

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roach ² American  

[rohch] / roʊtʃ /

noun

• roaches,
  plural
• roach
  plural

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

2. any of various similar fishes, as the golden shiner.

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

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roach ³ American  

[rohch] / roʊtʃ /

noun

1. Nautical.

   1. the upward curve at the foot of a square sail.

   2. (loosely) a convexity given to any of the edges of a sail; round.

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

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verb (used with object)

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

2. to comb (hair) into a roach.

Roach ⁴ American  

[rohch] / roʊtʃ /

noun

1. Maxwell Max, 1924–2007, U.S. jazz drummer and bandleader.

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roach ¹ British  

/ rəʊtʃ /

noun

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

2. any of various similar fishes

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roach ² British  

/ rəʊtʃ /

noun

1. short for cockroach

2. slang the butt of a cannabis cigarette

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roach ³ British  

/ rəʊtʃ /

noun

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

2. the curve at the foot of a square sail

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Roach ⁴ British  

/ rəʊtʃ /

noun

1. 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• roach
  plural
• roaches
  plural

Etymology

Origin of roach¹

An Americanism dating to 1830–40 roach ¹ for def. 1 and 1940–45 roach ¹ for def. 2; shortening of cockroach

Origin of roach²

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English roch(e), from Old French roch(e); further origin uncertain

Origin of roach³

First recorded in 1785–95; origin uncertain; posssibly a development of roach ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

roach Roach roaches

Lucy Galvin, the city council leader, said she and other residents had noticed dead pike, carp, roach, eel, rudd and dace.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Despite the roach infestation, JPMorgan dived into External link private credit, along with the rest of Wall Street, with Dimon reckoning his bank could handle the risk.

From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was quarantined in an apartment building with a roach infestation.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 11, 2025

The typical alternative fund is “a roach motel,” says Auwaerter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025

“Knows me, the princess, knows me?” said the roach in awe, and all the other roaches gave little gasps.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

“When safe cycling infrastructure goes in, then you see a lot more women, a lot more marginalized communities, also children, elderly people, people with disabilities,” Roach said.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

Since the 1960s, car companies, particularly those promoting fast cars or big trucks, have tailored their advertising to the male ego, according to Roach.

From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026

"Gift items are really price-point sensitive; people have in their mind what they're going to pay for a gift, and they're not going to pay more than that," Roach said.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

When 10th Street Entertainment’s merchandising director Ian Dietrich came across fanmade clothing with the Papa Roach lyric “Cut my life into pieces,” he didn’t try to take the shop down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

I don’t know if Uncle Camp heard that, but I know he heard what was said a few hours later when Hosie Roach, the mill boy, came in to ask for a job.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

The spokesperson urged reptile owners who have been using dubia roaches as feeders to seek legal alternatives such as crickets and wood roaches.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

It is easy enough to love dogs, cats and bunny rabbits, but what about roaches, wasps, snakes, vultures, rats and other largely unloved critters?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

Inmates are housed in unsafe, dirty facilities infested with roaches and rats, Bonta said in a news conference Monday, and lack basic access to clean water and edible food.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025

Sliding through the metal detectors, I overheard a sergeant explain how he put down his lunch, turned to grab a spoon, and, as he lifted the lid of his bowl, roaches squirmed underneath.

From Slate ● May 19, 2025

Ares and Aurora had not been mean or impatient when he and the roaches were scared of flying.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

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