Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Roll \Roll\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Rolled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Rolling}.] [OF. roeler, roler, F. rouler, LL. rotulare, fr.
   L. royulus, rotula, a little wheel, dim. of rota wheel; akin
   to G. rad, and to Skr. ratha car, chariot. Cf. {Control},
   {Roll}, n., {Rotary}.]
   1. To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to move by
      turning on an axis; to impel forward by causing to turn
      over and over on a supporting surface; as, to roll a
      wheel, a ball, or a barrel.

   2. To wrap round on itself; to form into a spherical or
      cylindrical body by causing to turn over and over; as, to
      roll a sheet of paper; to roll parchment; to roll clay or
      putty into a ball.

   3. To bind or involve by winding, as in a bandage; to inwrap;
      -- often with up; as, to roll up a parcel.

   4. To drive or impel forward with an easy motion, as of
      rolling; as, a river rolls its waters to the ocean.

            The flood of Catholic reaction was rolled over
            Europe.                               --J. A.
                                                  Symonds.

   5. To utter copiously, esp. with sounding words; to utter
      with a deep sound; -- often with forth, or out; as, to
      roll forth some one's praises; to roll out sentences.

            Who roll'd the psalm to wintry skies. --Tennyson.

   6. To press or level with a roller; to spread or form with a
      roll, roller, or rollers; as, to roll a field; to roll
      paste; to roll steel rails, etc.

   7. To move, or cause to be moved, upon, or by means of,
      rollers or small wheels.

   8. To beat with rapid, continuous strokes, as a drum; to
      sound a roll upon.

   9. (Geom.) To apply (one line or surface) to another without
      slipping; to bring all the parts of (one line or surface)
      into successive contact with another, in suck manner that
      at every instant the parts that have been in contact are
      equal.

   10. To turn over in one's mind; to revolve.

             Full oft in heart he rolleth up and down The beauty
             of these florins new and bright.     --Chaucer.

Roll \Roll\, v. i.
   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. r[^o]le a roll (in sense 3), fr. L. rotulus
   ? little wheel, LL., a roll, dim. of L. rota a wheel. See
   {Roll}, v., and cf. {R[^o]le}, {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.

Source : WordNet®

roll
     n 1: rotary motion of an object around its own axis; "wheels in
          axial rotation" [syn: {axial rotation}, {axial motion}]
     2: a list of names; "his name was struck off the rolls" [syn: {roster}]
     3: a long heavy sea wave as it advances towards the shore [syn:
         {roller}, {rolling wave}]
     4: photographic film rolled up inside a container to protect it
        from light
     5: a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles [syn:
         {coil}, {whorl}, {curl}, {curlicue}, {ringlet}, {gyre}, {scroll}]
     6: a roll of currency notes (often taken as the resources of a
        person or business etc.); "he shot his roll on a
        bob-tailed nag" [syn: {bankroll}]
     7: small rounded bread either plain or sweet [syn: {bun}]
     8: a deep prolonged sound (as of thunder or large bells) [syn:
        {peal}, {pealing}, {rolling}]
     9: the sound of a drum (especially a snare drum) beaten rapidly
        and continuously [syn: {paradiddle}, {drum roll}]
     10: a document that can be rolled up (as for storage) [syn: {scroll}]
     11: anything rolled up in cylindrical form
     12: the act of throwing dice [syn: {cast}]
     13: walking with a rolling gait
     14: a flight maneuver; aircraft rotates about its longitudinal
         axis without changing direction or losing altitude
     15: the act of rolling something (as the ball in bowling)

roll
     v 1: move by turning over or rotating; "The child rolled down the
          hill"; "turn over on your left side" [syn: {turn over}]
     2: move along on or as if on wheels or a wheeled vehicle; "The
        President's convoy rolled past the crowds" [syn: {wheel}]
     3: occur in soft rounded shapes; "The hills rolled past" [syn:
        {undulate}]
     4: flatten or spread with a roller; "roll out the paper" [syn:
        {roll out}]
     5: emit, produce, or utter with a deep prolonged reverberating
        sound; "The thunder rolled"; "rolling drums"
     6: wrap or coil around; "roll your hair around your finger";
        "Twine the thread around the spool" [syn: {wind}, {wrap},
        {twine}] [ant: {unwind}]
     7: begin operating or running; "The cameras were rolling"; "The
        presses are already rolling"
     8: shape by rolling; "roll a cigarette"
     9: execute a roll, in tumbling; "The gymnasts rolled and
        jumped"
     10: sell something to or obtain something from by energetic and
         especially underhanded activity [syn: {hustle}, {pluck}]
     11: move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion;
         "The curtains undulated"; "the waves rolled towards the
         beach" [syn: {undulate}, {flap}, {wave}]
     12: move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in
         search of food or employment; "The gypsies roamed the
         woods"; "roving vagabonds"; "the wandering Jew"; "The
         cattle roam across the prairie"; "the laborers drift from
         one town to the next"; "They rolled from town to town"
         [syn: {wander}, {swan}, {stray}, {tramp}, {roam}, {cast},
          {ramble}, {rove}, {range}, {drift}, {vagabond}]
     13: move, rock, or sway from side to side; "The ship rolled on
         the heavy seas"
     14: cause to move by turning over or in a circular manner of as
         if on an axis; "She rolled the ball"; "They rolled their
         eyes at his words" [syn: {revolve}]
     15: pronounce with a roll, of the phoneme /r/;  "She rolls her
         r's"
     16: boil vigorously; "The liquid was seething"; "The water
         rolled" [syn: {seethe}]
     17: take the shape of a roll or cylinder; "the carpet rolled
         out"; "Yarn rolls well"
     18: show certain properties when being rolled; "The carpet rolls
         unevenly"; "dried-out tobacco rolls badly" [syn: {roll up}]