roller

1 of 2

noun (1)

roll·​er ˈrō-lər How to pronounce roller (audio)
Synonyms of rollernext
1
a
: a revolving cylinder over or on which something is moved or which is used to press, shape, spread, or smooth something
b
: a cylinder or rod on which something (such as a shade) is rolled up
2
a
: a long heavy ocean wave
3
: one that rolls or performs a rolling operation
4
: a slowly rolling ground ball

roller

2 of 2

noun (2)

rol·​ler ˈrō-lər How to pronounce roller (audio)
1
: any of various mostly brightly colored nonpasserine Old World birds (family Coraciidae) that perform rolling aerial dives during courtship displays
2
: a canary having a song in which the notes are soft and run together

Examples of roller in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Dubón, a Miami resident, fought off a two-strike cutter from Calvin Faucher and a slow roller to the right of first base turned into an infield single that broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth inning, leading to an 8-4 Braves’ win over the Marlins on Tuesday. Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 20 May 2026 Professional groundskeepers have commercial mowers with specialized rollers to create stripes. Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2026 Topo Designs makes my favorite travel tote, so when the brand recently debuted a carry-on roller bag that doubles as a backpack, my interest was piqued. Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2026 The collection includes a large and carry-on size roller, along with luggage covers, a cooler tote, travel tote, shopping totes, and playful accessories including a soda can charm and more. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for roller

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

German, from rollen to roll, reverberate, from Middle French roller — more at roll

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1678, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of roller was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Roller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roller. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

roller

noun
roll·​er
ˈrō-lər
1
a
: a turning cylinder over or on which something is moved or which is used to press, shape, spread, or smooth something
b
: a rod on which something (as a map or a shade) is rolled up
c
: a small wheel (as of a roller skate)
2
: a long heavy wave on the sea
3
: one that rolls or rolls over

Medical Definition

roller

More from Merriam-Webster on roller

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster