n. 1 a a hard revolving cylinder for smoothing the ground, spreading ink or paint, crushing or stamping, rolling up cloth on, hanging a towel on, etc., used alone or as a rotating part of a machine. b a cylinder for diminishing friction when moving a heavy object. 2 a small cylinder on which hair is rolled for setting. 3 a long swelling wave. 4 (also roller bandage) a long surgical bandage rolled up for convenient application. 5 a kind of tumbler-pigeon. 6 a any brilliantly plumaged bird of the family Coraciidae, with characteristic tumbling display-flight. b a breed of canary with a trilling song. roller bearing a bearing like a ball-bearing but with small cylinders instead of balls. roller-coaster n. a switchback at a fair etc.
adj. that goes up and down, or changes, suddenly and repeatedly.
v.intr. (or roller-coast) go up and down or change in this way. roller-skate see SKATE(1). roller-skater a person who roller-skates. roller towel a towel with the ends joined, hung on a roller.