adj. & n.
adj. 1 a of ancient Rome or its territory or people. b archaic of its language. 2 of medieval or modern Rome. 3 of papal Rome, esp. = ROMAN CATHOLIC. 4 of a kind ascribed to the early Romans (Roman honesty; Roman virtue). 5 surviving from a period of Roman rule (Roman road). 6 (roman) (of type) of a plain upright kind used in ordinary print. 7 (of the alphabet etc.) based on the ancient Roman system with letters A-Z.
n. 1 a a citizen of the ancient Roman Republic or Empire. b a soldier of the Roman Empire. 2 a citizen of modern Rome. 3 = ROMAN CATHOLIC. 4 (roman) roman type. 5 (in pl.) the Christians of ancient Rome. Holy Roman Empire the Western part of the Roman Empire as revived by Charlemagne in 800. Roman candle a firework discharging a series of flaming coloured balls and sparks. Roman Empire hist. that established by Augustus in 27 BC and divided by Theodosius in AD 395 into the Western or Latin and Eastern or Greek Empire. Roman holiday enjoyment derived from others' discomfiture. Roman law the law-code developed by the ancient Romans and forming the basis of many modern codes. Roman nose one with a high bridge; an aquiline nose. roman numeral any of the Roman letters representing numbers: I = 1, V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1000.
[ ME f. OF Romain (n. & adj.) f. L Romanus f. Roma Rome ]