unroll

[uhn-rohl]

verb (used with object)

1. to open or spread out (something rolled or coiled).

   to unroll a bolt of fabric.

2. to lay open; display; reveal.

3. Obsolete.,  to strike from a roll or register.

verb (used without object)

1. to become unrolled or spread out.

   The scrolls unroll easily.

2. to become continuously visible or apparent.

   The landscape unrolled before our eyes.

unroll

/ ʌnˈrəʊl /

verb

1. to open out or unwind (something rolled, folded, or coiled) or (of something rolled, etc) to become opened out or unwound

2. to make or become visible or apparent, esp gradually; unfold

Word History and Origins

Origin of unroll¹

First recorded in 1375–1425, unroll is from the late Middle English word unrollen. See un- ², roll

Example Sentences

Now there's a new threat – drones equipped with a real fibre optic cable which unrolls as they fly.

From BBC

"We have to work out which layer is different from the next layer so we can unroll that digitally," said Dr Mancuso.

From BBC

The intertwining plots unroll in a mishmash of styles.

From Los Angeles Times

The action unrolls mostly in and around New York’s Plaza Hotel; in Washington, D.C., where they performed their first American concert; and on trains traveling back and forth.

From Los Angeles Times

Some people even unroll tin cans into strips to form parts of their walls.

From BBC

Related Words

• unfurl