🐦 A tumbling pigeon 🛼 A small wheel 🍞 A rolling tool 🌊 A large wave 🦜 A colorful bird ⚾ A rolling ball

roller

3 9.7

A bright bird that tumbles while flying

noun
/ˈroʊlər/

Specialized

: carraca

A roller flew overhead, its colorful feathers flashing in the sunlight while it tumbled elegantly.
lilac-breasted roller

Examples

One group had seen three dik-diks, and another had found a lilac-breasted roller's nest with two hatchlings in it.

Fiction book (1994)
The vibrant blue roller swooped gracefully through the sky, showcasing its impressive acrobatics.
Eagles (changeable hawk and serpent eagles) were cooperative on their low perches, and we also "captured" an Indian Roller, a large colorful member of the kingfisher family.

Academic text (2006)
I watched as the roller performed its stunning aerial flips, delighting the crowd with its skills.

Compounds

roller coaster

42 1.6

A fast amusement park ride with steep slopes and sharp turns

roller coaster

Informal

33 3.4

A situation with sudden extreme changes in mood or luck

high roller

25 5.6

A person who gambles or spends very large amounts of money, often in casinos

roller skate

9 2.3

A shoe with small wheels under it for moving on hard ground

Holy Roller

Slur

4 9.9

A Christian who worships with loud, joyful actions like shouting, dancing, or rolling on the floor

roller skating

3 1.6

An activity of moving on shoes with small wheels

roller-skater

1 2.3

A person who moves on shoes with small wheels for sport or fun

paint roller

1 2.3

A tool with a soft round surface for painting large walls or ceilings

roller bearing

Specialized

1 5.5

A machine part with small round pieces that roll to let other parts move smoothly

European roller

8.9

A brightly coloured bird with blue and green feathers and a reddish back that flies in quick rolls

leaf roller

Specialized

8.4

A small moth whose caterpillars roll leaves and tie them with silk to make a nest

leaf-roller

Specialized

8.9

A moth whose caterpillars roll and tie leaves with silk to make a nest

garden roller

4.2

A heavy round tool you roll to press and level a lawn

ground roller

9.9

A bird from Madagascar that lives on the ground and is active at dusk, eating insects and worms

road roller

Specialized

2.9

A heavy vehicle with wide smooth drums that flattens and hardens road surfaces

roller bit

Specialized

8.4

A drill part with hard turning wheels that cut through rock

roller blind

3.0

A window covering made of fabric that moves up and down to block light and give privacy

roller ironer

Specialized

7.9

A large machine with a hot roller that irons and dries things like sheets and tablecloths

roller bandage

4.1

A roll of cloth used to wrap wounds or support injured body parts

roller ski

6.5

A long narrow frame with wheels used for training on roads when there is no snow

roller towel

Archaic

4.3

A long loop of cloth that turns on a roller for drying hands

pill roller

7.2

A person who prepares and gives medicines, usually a pharmacist

Surface Forms

roller singular

rollers plural

Morphology

roller = roll (semi-transparent) = roll + er

Built from 'roll' + '-er' referring to a bird noted for rolling/tumbling in flight; the literal connection is clear but the taxonomic name is specialized.

Etymology

Roller comes from the verb roll plus -er, meaning 'one that rolls'. The Old World bird called a roller is named for its tumbling flight, because it looks like the bird is 'rolling' as it twists and dives.