roller
paint tool with a rotating cylinder
A painting tool with a handle and a soft cylinder that turns, used to put paint on walls or other large surfaces.
use a roller to paint [surface]
- We used a wide roller to paint the living room walls.
- Make sure you wash the roller before the paint dries on it.
- A small foam roller is perfect for painting doors and cabinets.
- She dipped the roller into the tray and started on the ceiling.
- The painter switched from a brush to a roller to work faster.
- He painted the wall with a roller.
- Please clean the paint roller after you use it.
- She bought a new roller to paint her bedroom.
- Use a small roller for the corners.
- The man moves the roller up and down the wall.
rotating cylinder in machines or devices
A round part that turns in a machine or tool and helps move, press, or massage something as it rolls over it.
a roller moves [material] through [machine]
- The paper jammed around one of the printer rollers.
- A series of small rollers carries the boxes along the conveyor belt.
- She used a foam roller on her legs after the race to massage tight muscles.
- The door runs smoothly on the metal rollers at the top.
- If the rollers are dirty, the machine will not feed the sheets correctly.
- The belt moves over several rollers.
- There is a small roller inside the printer.
- He changed the old roller in the machine.
- She rolls her back on a foam roller after exercise.
- The door hangs from two wheels called rollers.
heavy cylinder for flattening ground
A very heavy round tool that you roll over the ground to make it flat and smooth.
use a roller to flatten [surface]
- A road roller smoothed the new layer of asphalt.
- He pulled a lawn roller across the grass after seeding.
- The ground was soft, so they went over it twice with the roller.
- The contractor hired a heavy roller to prepare the parking area.
- Using a roller helps remove air pockets in the soil.
- They used a roller to make the road flat.
- He pulls the roller over the wet grass.
- The big roller moves slowly across the field.
- The worker drives a road roller on the street.
- She rented a lawn roller for her garden.
small cylinder for curling hair
A small round tube that you roll hair around to make it curly or wavy.
put [hair] in rollers
- She slept with rollers in her hair to get tight curls.
- The stylist used heated rollers to give her more volume.
- He carefully removed each roller and sprayed the curls.
- I can’t go out yet—I still have my hair rollers in.
- She packed her rollers and hair dryer for the trip.
- She puts rollers in her hair every night.
- He takes the rollers out in the morning.
- The woman buys new hair rollers at the shop.
- Her hair is curly because of the rollers.
- She uses small rollers for the front of her hair.
wheeled skate for the feet
A shoe or boot with wheels on the bottom that you wear to move on hard ground.
wear rollers on [feet]
- Kids in rented rollers were circling the rink.
- He tightened the wheels on his rollers before the race.
- She prefers inline rollers to the old four‑wheel kind.
- They kept their rollers on when they left the rink and rolled down the sidewalk.
- The shop sells both ice skates and rollers.
- She moves fast on her rollers.
- He puts on his rollers at the rink.
- They rent rollers for one hour.
- Her rollers have bright red wheels.
- He takes off his rollers and walks home.
large rolling ocean wave
A big sea wave that moves in and falls hard on the beach.
a roller crashes against [shore]
- Huge rollers were crashing onto the rocks after the storm.
- Surfers waited just beyond the break for the next big roller.
- From the cliff they watched the white‑topped rollers roll in.
- The boat rose and fell on long ocean rollers.
- Powerful rollers pounded the coastline all night.
- Big rollers hit the beach in the storm.
- The ship moves up and down on the rollers.
- Surfers wait for a big roller.
- We can hear the rollers from our hotel.
- Long rollers come in from the deep sea.
- Base: roller
- Plural: rollers
high roller
1person who spends or gambles big
Someone who often spends or bets a lot of money, especially in casinos or business.
- Casinos give high rollers free hotel rooms and special service.
- In the tech world, he’s known as a high roller who backs risky startups.
- The club is full of high rollers on Saturday night.
paint roller
1tool for painting large surfaces
A tool with a handle and a soft, turning cylinder that you use to paint big areas like walls and ceilings.
- You’ll need a paint roller if you want to finish that wall quickly.
- She bought a new paint roller and a tray at the hardware store.
- Use a small paint roller to get into tight spaces.
roller bag
1suitcase with wheels and handle
A suitcase that has wheels and a handle so you can pull it instead of carrying it.
- She packed everything into a small roller bag for the weekend trip.
- His roller bag wouldn’t fit in the overhead bin.
- People hurried through the airport, pulling their roller bags behind them.
roller blind
1window blind that rolls up
A kind of window cover made of one piece of cloth that you can pull down and roll up around a tube.
- We installed a white roller blind in the kitchen window.
- She pulled the roller blind down to block the sun.
- The roller blind jammed and wouldn’t roll up properly.
roller coaster
1amusement ride with steep drops
An amusement park ride where small cars move fast along a track with big hills and quick turns; people often also use it to talk about a time with many sudden changes, especially in feelings.
- The new roller coaster at the park has a 60‑meter drop.
- This year has been a real roller coaster for the company, with big wins and big losses.
- She hates roller coasters because she gets sick on fast rides.
roller derby
1contact sport played on roller skates
A fast sport where two teams skate around a track on roller skates and try to block each other and score points by passing opposing players.
- She joined a local roller derby team last year.
- Roller derby requires both skating skill and physical toughness.
- They watched a roller derby match at the sports arena.
roller rink
1place for roller skating
A special place with a smooth floor where people go to skate on roller skates.
- The town’s old roller rink was turned into a gym.
- We met at the roller rink for my birthday party.
- He works part‑time at the local roller rink.
roller shutter
1door or window cover that rolls up
A strong cover made of strips of metal or plastic that rolls up above a door or window and can be rolled down for security or shade.
- The shop pulls down a roller shutter at night.
- They installed a roller shutter on the garage for extra security.
- The roller shutter was stuck halfway and wouldn’t close.
roller skating
1sport/activity of using roller skates
The activity or sport of moving on skates with wheels, usually on flat ground or at a rink.
- We go roller skating at the rink every Friday night.
- Roller skating is great exercise and a lot of fun.
- She learned roller skating as a child and still loves it.
foam roller
5foam cylinder for muscle massage
A hard tube made of foam that you roll your body on to massage and relax your muscles.
- I use a foam roller after running to loosen my leg muscles.
- She uses a foam roller after running to relax her legs.
- The trainer showed us how to use a foam roller for our backs.
- The trainer showed them how to use a foam roller safely.
- A foam roller can help reduce muscle soreness after workouts.
roller skate
1wheeled shoe for skating
A shoe or boot with wheels on the bottom that you wear to move on flat, hard ground.
- He bought a new pair of roller skates for his daughter.
- She bought new roller skates for the indoor rink.
- It took her a while to learn how to stop on roller skates.
- Children in the park were playing on their roller skates.
- The store rents roller skates in many different sizes.
- You must wear roller skates on the track; no regular shoes are allowed.
emotional roller coaster
1rapidly changing emotions
A situation where your feelings change quickly from happy to sad or excited to worried.
- The week before the wedding was an emotional roller coaster for her.
- The week before the wedding was an emotional roller coaster.
- Watching the game was an emotional roller coaster for the fans.
- Watching that series was an emotional roller coaster for me.
emotional roller coaster
2time of many emotional ups and downs
A situation or time when your feelings change very quickly from happy to sad, relaxed to stressed, and so on.
- The first year after the baby was born was an emotional roller coaster for them.
- Breaking up with him has been an emotional roller coaster—one day I feel free, the next I feel lonely.
- Starting a new business can be an emotional roller coaster.