roll-up

[rohl-uhp]

noun

1. Also rollup something, as a carpet or window shade, that can be rolled up when not in use.

2. Informal.,  an increase, as in value or cost.

roll up

verb

1. to form or cause to form a cylindrical shape

2. (tr) to wrap (an object) round on itself or on an axis

   to roll up a map

3. informal,  (intr) to arrive, esp in a vehicle

4. (intr) to proceed or develop

5. (intr) to assemble; congregate

noun

1. informal,  a cigarette made by hand from loose tobacco and cigarette paper

2. (in the 19th century) a mass meeting of workers on an issue of common concern

3. archaic,  the attendance at any fixture

   they had a good roll-up

Word History and Origins

Origin of roll up¹

First recorded in 1745–55; noun use of verb phrase roll up

Idioms and Phrases

Accumulate, as in He rolled up a fortune in commodity trading , or She rolled up a huge number of votes in this district . [Mid-1800s]

Arrive in a vehicle, as in They rolled up in a taxi at exactly eight o'clock .

Example Sentences

Roll-up deals involving technology startups focused on overhauling companies with AI have become popular in the venture sector.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Inversion’s business plan combines the classic private-equity model of acquiring and overhauling businesses with a so-called roll-up strategy, where companies buy smaller firms within a sector and “roll up” their technology to create a single, more valuable entity.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

TikTok is a place where food trends go viral - from the pickle challenge which involved eating a hot pickle wrapped in a fruit roll-up - to Dubai chocolate which sparked a shopping frenzy.

Read more on BBC

Steward Health Care’s inception was made possible by a common PE maneuver called a “roll-up”—buying up lots of smaller firms within an industry and housing them under one umbrella.

Read more on Slate

Furst’s property, which he dubbed Furstwurld, has grown to include a series of buildings including one with a stage, lighting, sound system and seating, plus a roll-up door that opens to the outside.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bandage 
• bind 
• bundle 
• cloak 
• clothe 
• cover 
• drape 
• encase 
• enclose 
• fold 
• hide 
• immerse 
• pack 
• sheathe 
• shroud 
• swaddle 
• swathe 

When To Use

What does roll-up mean?

A roll-up is something that can be easily rolled into a cylinder, such as a rug or a window shade.Informally, a roll-up is also an increase, such as with a roll-up cost.Roll-up can also be spelled rollup.Roll up means to wrap an object around itself or on an axis, as with a map.Informally, roll up can also mean to arrive, especially in a vehicle.Example: Roll up that blanket and throw it in the picnic basket.