roller

¹ American  

[roh-ler] / ˈroʊ lər /

noun

1. a person or thing that rolls.

2. a cylinder, wheel, caster, or the like, upon which something is rolled along.

3. a cylindrical body, revolving on a fixed axis, especially one to facilitate the movement of something passed over or around it.

4. a cylindrical object upon which something is rolled up.

   the roller of a window shade.

5. a hollow, cylindrical object of plastic, stiff net, or the like, upon which hair is rolled up for setting.

6. a cylindrical body for rolling over something to be spread out, leveled, crushed, smoothed, compacted, impressed, inked, etc.

7. any of various other revolving cylindrical bodies, as the barrel of a music box.

8. Metalworking. a person in charge of a rolling mill.

9. a long, swelling wave advancing steadily.

   Synonyms:

   comber, breaker

10. a rolled bandage.

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roller ² American  

[roh-ler] / ˈroʊ lər /

noun

Ornithology.

1. any of several Old World birds of the family Coraciidae that tumble or roll over in flight, especially in the breeding season.

2. tumbler.

3. one of a variety of canaries having a warbling or trilling song.

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roller British  

/ ˈrəʊlə /

noun

1. a cylinder having an absorbent surface and a handle, used for spreading paint

2. Also called: garden roller.  a heavy cast-iron cylinder or pair of cylinders on an axle to which a handle is attached; used for flattening lawns

3. a long heavy wave of the sea, advancing towards the shore Compare breaker 1

4. a hardened cylinder of precision-ground steel that forms one of the rolling components of a roller bearing or of a linked driving chain

5. a cylinder fitted on pivots, used to enable heavy objects to be easily moved; castor

6. printing a cylinder, usually of hard rubber, used to ink a forme or plate before impression

7. a cylindrical tube or barrel onto which material is rolled for transport or storage

8. any of various other cylindrical devices that rotate about a cylinder, used for any of various purposes

9. a small cylinder, esp one that is heated, onto which a woman's hair may be rolled to make it curl

10. med a bandage consisting of a long strip of muslin or cheesecloth rolled tightly into a cylindrical form before application

11. a band fastened around a horse's belly to keep a blanket in position

12. any of various Old World birds of the family Coraciidae , such as Coracias garrulus ( European roller ), that have a blue, green, and brown plumage, a slightly hooked bill, and an erratic flight: order Coraciiformes (kingfishers, etc)

13. (often capital) a variety of tumbler pigeon that performs characteristic backward somersaults in flight

14. a breed of canary that has a soft trilling song in which the notes are run together

15. a person or thing that rolls

16. a man who rolls and trims fleeces after shearing

17. short for roadroller steamroller

18. short for roller caption

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Etymology

Origin of roller¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; roll ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Origin of roller²

First recorded in 1675–85; from German Roller, derivative of rollen to roll

Example Sentences

The massage was followed by “Golden Eye therapy,” during which Chen used an electronic device on my face with a metal roller ball on it.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

“It can be a roller coaster at times, but over the long run, we believe in the studios’ ability to outperform,” Chiappetta said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Because of that, Vargas — who always works freehand and does not use spray paints — has to carefully paint each section with a brush, as even a roller will not work on that surface.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

"My life is a broken roller coaster, but maybe I'm the only one to blame," they sing on the melancholy Merry Go Round.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

And yes, adjusting to this country has been a roller coaster.”

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• crest
• flood
• influx
• movement
• outbreak
• rash
• rush
• sign
• stream
• surge
• swell
• tide
• upsurge