1. 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.
And her foot, look you, is fixed upon a spherical stone, which rolls, and rolls, and rolls.
Shak. 2. To move on wheels; as, the carriage rolls along the street. "The rolling chair." Dryden.
3. To be wound or formed into a cylinder or ball; as, the cloth rolls unevenly; the snow rolls well.
4. To fall or tumble; — with over; as, a stream rolls over a precipice.
5. To perform a periodical revolution; to move onward as with a revolution; as, the rolling year; ages roll
away.
6. To turn; to move circularly.
And his red eyeballs roll with living fire.
Dryden. 7. To move, as waves or billows, with alternate swell and depression.
What different sorrows did within thee roll.
Prior. 8. 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.
Twice ten tempestuous nights I rolled.
Pope. 9. To turn over, or from side to side, while lying down; to wallow; as, a horse rolls.
10. To spread under a roller or rolling-pin; as, the paste rolls well.
11. To beat a drum with strokes so rapid that they can scarcely be distinguished by the ear.
12. To make a loud or heavy rumbling noise; as, the thunder rolls.
To roll about, to gad abroad. [Obs.]
Man shall not suffer his wife go roll about.
Chaucer. Roll
(Roll), n. [F. rôle a roll fr. L. rotulus little wheel, LL., a roll, dim. of L. rota a wheel. See Roll, v.,
and cf. Rôle, Rouleau, Roulette.]
1. The act of rolling, or state of being rolled; as, the roll of a ball; the roll of waves.
2. That which rolls; a roller. Specifically: (a) A heavy cylinder used to break clods. Mortimer. (b) 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.
3. That which is rolled up; as, a roll of fat, of wool, paper, cloth, etc. Specifically: (a) A document written
on a piece of parchment, paper, or other materials which may be rolled up; a scroll.
Busy angels spread
The lasting roll, recording what we say.
Prior.
