verb

roll

rohl

verb

To move by turning over and over on a surface.

"The ball rolled off the table and under the couch."

"He rolled the barrel across the yard."

To form something into a cylindrical or spherical shape by turning it over on itself.

"She rolled the dough into a neat log before slicing it."

"He rolled up his sleeping bag and stuffed it into the pack."

To begin or set something in motion, especially filming or an event.

"The director shouted "Roll cameras!" and the scene began."

noun

A small individually baked piece of bread.

"She served warm rolls with the soup."

A cylindrical bundle of something rolled up.

"He grabbed a fresh roll of paper towels."

An official list of names, especially one used to record attendance or membership.

"The teacher called the roll before class began."

How to Use Roll

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo turn over and over while moving, to shape something into a cylinder, or (as a noun) a small bread bun, a rolled-up bundle, or a list of names.

Easily confused with

role →

Common pairings

roll call bread roll roll over on a roll

Word Forms

rolled past tense, roll plural, rolled plural, rolls plural, rolls plural, rolls singular, roll singular, rolled singular, rollest singular, rolledst singular, rolleth singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “roll” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The ball _____ off the table and under the couch.

Etymology

From Middle English rollen, from Old French roller and Medieval Latin rotulare ("to roll"), ultimately from Latin rota, "a wheel".

Rhymes for roll

doll toll moll poll Holl troll atoll knoll droll Kroll stroll scroll

See all rhymes for roll →