ETYM French rôle a roll, from Latin rotulus little wheel, Late Lat., a roll, dim. of Latin rota a wheel. Related to Roll, Rôle, Rouleau, Roulette.
(Homonym: role).
1. The act of rolling something (as the ball in bowling).
2. Any coiled or rolled substance.
3. A roll of photographic film.
4. A list of names; SYN. roster.
5. A flight maneuver; aircraft rotates about its longitudinal axis without changing direction or losing altitude.
6. Walking with a rolling gait.

(Homonym: role).
1. To shape by coiling.
2. To rotate or cause to rotate; SYN. revolve, turn over.
3. To occur in soft rounded shapes; SYN. undulate.
4. To emit, produce, or utter with a deep prolonged reverberating sound.
5. To pronounce with a roll, of the phoneme /r/.
6. To execute a roll, in tumbling.
7. To begin operating or running.