Etymology

Verb

1. To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to move by turning on an axis; to impel forward by causing to turn over and over on a supporting surface.

   to roll a wheel, a ball, or a barrel.

2. To wrap round on itself; to form into a spherical or cylindrical body by causing to turn over and over.

   to roll a sheet of paper; to roll clay or putty into a ball.

3. To bind or involve by winding, as in a bandage; to inwrap; often with up.

   to roll up the map for shipping.

4. To drive or impel forward with an easy motion, as of rolling.

   This river will roll its waters to the ocean.

5. To utter copiously, especially with sounding words; to utter with a deep sound; -- often with forth, or out.

   to roll forth someone's praises; to roll out sentences.

6. To press or level with a roller; to spread or form with a roll, roller, or rollers.

   to roll a field; to roll paste; to roll steel rails.

7. To move, or cause to be moved, upon, or by means of, rollers or small wheels.
8. To beat with rapid, continuous strokes, as a drum; to sound a roll upon.
9. To apply (one line or surface) to another without slipping; to bring all the parts of (one line or surface) into successive contact with another, in such a manner that at every instant the parts that have been in contact are equal.
10. To turn over in one's mind; to revolve.
11. To behave in a certain way; to adopt a general disposition toward a situation.

    I was going to kick his ass, but he wasn't worth getting all worked up over, I don't roll like that.

    • 2006, Times Herald-Record, Tuesday, November 21, by Chris McKenna. At http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061121/NEWS/611210321.

      "This is how we roll in Spring Valley," one teen reportedly boasted.

12. To throw dice.
13. To roll dice such that they form a given pattern or total.

    If you roll doubles, you get an extra turn.

    With two dice, you're more likely to roll seven than ten.

14. To create a new character in a role-playing game.

    I'm gonna go and roll a new shaman tonight.

15. To generate a random number.
16. To turn over and over.

    The child will roll on the floor.

17. To tumble in gymnastics.
18. when a nautical vessel rotates on its fore-and-aft axis, causing its sides to go up and down. Compare with pitch.
19. To beat up.
20. To cause to betray secrets of or testify against.

    The feds rolled him by giving him a free pass for most of what he'd done.

21. To betray secrets.

    He rolled on those guys after being in jail two days.

Noun

1. The act of rolling, or state of being rolled.

   Look at the roll of a ball.

   Look at the roll of waves.

2. That which rolls; a roller
3. Specifically, a heavy cylinder used to break clods.
4. Specifically, one of a set of revolving cylinders, or rollers, between which metal is pressed, formed, or smoothed, as in a rolling mill; as, to pass rails through the rolls.
5. That which is rolled up; as, a roll of fat, of wool, paper, cloth, etc.
6. Specifically, a document written on a piece of parchment, paper, or other materials which may be rolled up; a scroll.
7. Hence, an official or public document; a register; a record; also, a catalogue; a list.
8. Specifically, a quantity of cloth wound into a cylindrical form; as, a roll of carpeting; a roll of ribbon.
9. Specifically, A cylindrical twist of tobacco.
10. A kind of shortened raised biscuit or bread, often rolled or doubled upon itself.
11. The oscillating movement of a vessel from side to side, in sea way, as distinguished from the alternate rise and fall of bow and stern called pitching.
12. A heavy, reverberatory sound.

    Hear the roll of cannon.

    Hear the roll of thunder.

13. The uniform beating of a drum with strokes so rapid as scarcely to be distinguished by the ear.
14. Part; office; duty; rôle.
15. A measure of parchments, containing five dozen.
    • 1882, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, Volume 4, p. 594:

      Parchement is sold by the dozen, and by the roll of five dozens.

16. the rotation angle about the longitudinal axis

    Calculate the roll of that aircraft.

17. The act of, or total resulting from, rolling one or more dice.

    Make your roll.

    Whoever gets the highest roll moves first.

18. The measure of extent to which a nautical vessel rotates on its fore-and-aft axis, causing its sides to go up and down. Compare with pitch.