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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

Some large coarse fish, such as chub, roach and dace were also killed.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 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

After about fifteen minutes of Bugs screaming the joint down they said they were going to have to take him to the emergency room to get the roach out.

From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis

It’s impossible to overestimate the depth and singularity of influence that Roach, who died in 2007 at 83 years old, exerted on jazz, and on American culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

Based on a spiritual, “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning,” as adapted by Roach and singer Andy Bey, it was meant as both balm and call to action.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

As LPL Financial Chief Economist Jeffrey Roach notes, the inflation report showed that real disposable personal income has been down in four of the past six months, straining consumers.

From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026

A number of well-known actors and actresses have appeared on the show over the years, including Ioan Gruffudd, Iwan Rheon, Michael Sheen and Alexandra Roach.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026

If the Roach and the Ghost climb through, I can explain the crown’s location.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

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

Participants also are frequently barred from bringing in outside food, to keep from attracting roaches, mice and other pests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026

In transit, bedsheets, scraps of paper, even Bibles are lit on fire and used to burn out roaches crawling through cracks and hiding in the crevices.

From Slate ● May 19, 2025

If roaches talked, and bats played ball games, then probably there was a cow jumping a moon somewhere, too.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

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