Roll Names a Motion, a Bread and a List
To roll is to move by turning over. The noun covers bread, lists and documents.
To roll is to move along by turning over; a roll is a rolled thing, a small loaf, or an official list. All of it goes back to Latin *rotula*, a little wheel, from *rota*, a wheel — the same root as *rotate*, *rotary*, *round* and *control*. A bread roll is named for its rolled shape and a school roll for the parchment it was written on. In aviation, roll is one of three axes of motion along with pitch and yaw.
- To turn over. *Rolling downhill.*
- A small loaf. *A bread roll.*
- A list. *The electoral roll.*
- An axis of motion. *Pitch, roll and yaw.*
- Latin — *rota*, a wheel. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | roll | Rolling. |
| Noun | roll | A roll. |
| Agent | roller | A roller. |
| Related | rotate | To rotate. |
| Latin | rota | A wheel. |
- The ball rolled away.Motion.
- A ham roll.Food.
- The electoral roll.List.
The three axes of flight
- Roll — rotation about the nose-to-tail axis, using ailerons
- Pitch — nose up or down, using the elevator
- Yaw — nose left or right, using the rudder
- A turn combines roll and yaw
- All three meet at the centre of gravity
Old French *roller*, from Latin *rotulare*, from *rotula*, a little wheel, diminutive of *rota*.
Why is a small loaf called a roll?
For its rolled shape, from the same Latin word for a little wheel that gives the verb.
Is round related to roll?
Yes. Both descend from Latin rota, a wheel, along with rotate and rotary.