roll of tobacco

1 4.6

A small bundle of tobacco leaves rolled into a cylinder for smoking

noun
/roʊl əv təˈbækoʊ/

: rollo de tabaco

The old man always carried a roll of tobacco in his pocket for a quick smoke.

Examples

He carefully unwrapped the roll of tobacco to prepare his pipe for smoking.
She placed the roll of tobacco on the table next to her lighter.
His shrewd eyes had danced thoughtfully as he chewed ruminantly on the tattered roll of tobacco.

Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

cigarette

vsroll of tobacco

∞ 1.0

A thin roll of tobacco wrapped in paper that you smoke

is a rolled tobacco amount used for smoking or storage not specifically thin

tobacco

vsroll of tobacco

379 1.4

Dried processed leaves people smoke or chew to get nicotine

is a wrapped quantity of those leaves for smoking or storage not raw material

roll

vsroll of tobacco

296 1.8

Something that is wrapped or bent into a long, round shape

is a cylindrical amount specifically made from tobacco leaves for smoking or storage

cigar

vsroll of tobacco

291 2.4

A roll of tobacco leaves that you smoke

is any rolled tobacco amount for smoking or storage not only thick forms

smoke

vsroll of tobacco

Informal

66 4.6

A cigarette or cigar, a small roll of tobacco you light to inhale

is the general rolled tobacco quantity rather than a slang term

tobacco product

vsroll of tobacco

11 3.2

A product made from tobacco leaves that people smoke or chew, like cigarettes

is the specific rolled tobacco quantity for smoking or storage not all products

cigaret

vsroll of tobacco

Archaic

2 1.8

A thin roll of tobacco wrapped in paper that you smoke

is any rolled tobacco quantity that may be larger or more coarsely made

Surface Forms

roll of tobacco singular

rolls of tobacco plural

Morphology

roll + of + tobacco

The phrase is a literal noun phrase: 'roll' (an item wound or rolled) combined with 'tobacco' (dried leaves) via the linking preposition 'of', so the overall meaning — tobacco formed into a roll — is directly compositional. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common noun+of+noun construction, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Roll of tobacco comes from the simple image of dried tobacco leaves being wrapped into a roll. People did this so the leaves were easy to carry and 'to smoke' or 'to store', so the phrase means a wrapped bundle of tobacco.