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• roller skate
  roller skate

  noun

  a form of skate with four wheels or rollers instead of a runner, for use on a sidewalk or other surface offering traction.
• roller-skate
  roller-skate

  verb (used without object)

  to glide about by means of roller skates.

roller skate

¹ American  

noun

1. a form of skate with four wheels or rollers instead of a runner, for use on a sidewalk or other surface offering traction.

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roller-skate ² American  

[roh-ler-skeyt] / ˈroʊ lərˌskeɪt /

Or rollerskate

verb (used without object)

roller-skated, roller-skating

1. to glide about by means of roller skates.

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roller skate British  

noun

1. a boot or shoe with four small wheels attached that enable the wearer to glide swiftly over a floor or other surface

2. a device having clamps or straps for attaching such wheels to a boot or shoe

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verb

1. (intr) to move on roller skates

Other Word Forms

• roller skater
  noun
• rollerskater
  noun

Etymology

Origin of roller skate¹

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Origin of roller-skate²

First recorded in 1870–75; v. use of roller skate

Example Sentences

John Okevu Ojo II, 34, skater and fashion designer: I feel like if you’re Black and from L.A., you should know how to roller skate.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2025

But there’s something about going around in a rink, or if I’m at a great beach where I can roller skate, with the air hitting my face.

From New York Times • Apr. 10, 2023

This is now a spot for people who roller skate.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2022

But "Running Up That Hill" isn't employed merely to set a tone or place us in an era, like neon roller skate wheels or Scrunchies.

From Salon • May 30, 2022

Across the street a girl new in the neighborhood skated up and down the sidewalk on one roller skate.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers