(n.) 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; as, to roll a wheel, a ball, or a barrel.
(n.) To wrap round on itself; to form into a spherical or
cylindrical body by causing to turn over and over; as, to roll a sheet
of paper; to roll parchment; to roll clay or putty into a ball.
(n.) To bind or involve by winding, as in a bandage; to inwrap; --
often with up; as, to roll up a parcel.
(n.) To drive or impel forward with an easy motion, as of rolling;
as, a river rolls its waters to the ocean.
(n.) To utter copiously, esp. with sounding words; to utter with a
deep sound; -- often with forth, or out; as, to roll forth some one's
praises; to roll out sentences.
(n.) To press or level with a roller; to spread or form with a
roll, roller, or rollers; as, to roll a field; to roll paste; to roll
steel rails, etc.
(n.) To move, or cause to be moved, upon, or by means of, rollers
or small wheels.
(n.) To beat with rapid, continuous strokes, as a drum; to sound a
roll upon.
(n.) 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 suck manner that at every instant the parts that have
been in contact are equal.
(n.) To turn over in one's mind; to revolve.
(v. i.) To move, as a curved object may, along a surface by
rotation without sliding; to revolve upon an axis; to turn over and
over; as, a ball or wheel rolls on the earth; a body rolls on an
inclined plane.
(v. i.) To move on wheels; as, the carriage rolls along the
street.
(v. i.) To be wound or formed into a cylinder or ball; as, the
cloth rolls unevenly; the snow rolls well.
(v. i.) To fall or tumble; -- with over; as, a stream rolls over a
precipice.
(v. i.) To perform a periodical revolution; to move onward as with
a revolution; as, the rolling year; ages roll away.
(v. i.) To turn; to move circularly.
(v. i.) To move, as waves or billows, with alternate swell and
depression.
(v. i.) To incline first to one side, then to the other; to rock;
as, there is a great difference in ships about rolling; in a general
semse, to be tossed about.
(v. i.) To turn over, or from side to side, while lying down; to
wallow; as, a horse rolls.
(v. i.) To spread under a roller or rolling-pin; as, the paste
rolls well.
(v. i.) To beat a drum with strokes so rapid that they can
scarcely be distinguished by the ear.
(v. i.) To make a loud or heavy rumbling noise; as, the thunder
rolls.
(v.) The act of rolling, or state of being rolled; as, the roll of
a ball; the roll of waves.
(v.) That which rolls; a roller.
(v.) A heavy cylinder used to break clods.
(v.) 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.
(v.) That which is rolled up; as, a roll of fat, of wool, paper,
cloth, etc.
(v.) A document written on a piece of parchment, paper, or other
materials which may be rolled up; a scroll.
(v.) Hence, an official or public document; a register; a record;
also, a catalogue; a list.
(v.) A quantity of cloth wound into a cylindrical form; as, a roll
of carpeting; a roll of ribbon.
(v.) A cylindrical twist of tobacco.
(v.) A kind of shortened raised biscuit or bread, often rolled or
doubled upon itself.
(v.) 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.
(v.) A heavy, reverberatory sound; as, the roll of cannon, or of
thunder.
(v.) The uniform beating of a drum with strokes so rapid as
scarcely to be distinguished by the ear.
(v.) Part; office; duty; role.
