Part 391

Roll"ey (-), n. [Probably fr. roll.] A small wagon used for the underground work of a mine. Tomlison.

Rol"lic (rl"lk), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rollicked (-lkt); p. pr. & vb. n. Rollicking.] [Corrupt. fr. frolic, under the influence of roll.] To move or play in a careless, swaggering manner, with a frolicsome air; to frolic; to sport; commonly in the form rollicking. [Colloq.]

He described his friends as rollicking blades.

T. Hook.

Roll"ing (?), a. 1. Rotating on an axis, or moving along a surface by rotation; turning over and over as if on an axis or a pivot; as, a rolling wheel or ball.

2. Moving on wheels or rollers, or as if on wheels or rollers; as, a rolling chair.

3. Having gradual, rounded undulations of surface; as, a rolling country; rolling land. [U.S.]

Rolling bridge. See the Note under Drawbridge. -- Rolling circle of a paddle wheel, the circle described by the point whose velocity equals the velocity of the ship. J. Bourne. -- Rolling fire (Mil.), a discharge of firearms by soldiers in line, in quick succession, and in the order in which they stand. -- Rolling friction, that resistance to motion experienced by one body rolling upon another which arises from the roughness or other quality of the surfaces in contact. -- Rolling mill, a mill furnished with heavy rolls, between which heated metal is passed, to form it into sheets, rails, etc. -- Rolling press. (a) A machine for calendering cloth by pressure between revolving rollers. (b) A printing press with a roller, used in copperplate printing. -- Rolling stock, or Rolling plant, the locomotives and vehicles of a railway. -- Rolling tackle (Naut.), tackle used to steady the yards when the ship rolls heavily. R. H. Dana, Jr.

Roll"ing-pin` (?), n. A cylindrical piece of wood or other material, with which paste or dough may be rolled out and reduced to a proper thickness.

Roll"way` (?), n. A place prepared for rolling logs into a stream.

Roll"y-po`ly (?), n. A kind of pudding made of paste spread with fruit, rolled into a cylindrical form, and boiled or steamed. -- a. Shaped like a rolly-poly; short and stout. [Written also roly- poly.]

Roll"y-pool`y (?), n. [Etymol. uncertain.] A game in which a ball, rolling into a certain place, wins. [Written also rouly-pouly.]

Ro"ly-po`ly (?), n. & a. Rolly- poly.

Rom"age (?), n. & v. See Rummage. [Obs.] Shak.

Ro*ma"ic (?), a. [NGr. &?;&?;&?;&?;: cf. F. romaïque. See Roman.] Of or relating to modern Greece, and especially to its language. -- n. The modern Greek language, now usually called by the Greeks Hellenic or Neo-Hellenic.

The Greeks at the time of the capture of Constantinople were proud of being "Romai^oi, or Romans . . . Hence the term Romaic was the name given to the popular language. . . . The Greek language is now spoken of as the Hellenic language. Encyc. Brit.

Ro"man (?), a. [L. Romanus, fr. Roma Rome: cf. F. romain. Cf. Romaic, Romance, Romantic.] 1. Of or pertaining to Rome, or the Roman people; like or characteristic of Rome, the Roman people, or things done by Romans; as, Roman fortitude; a Roman aqueduct; Roman art.

2. Of or pertaining to the Roman Catholic religion; professing that religion.

3. (Print.) (a) Upright; erect; -- said of the letters or kind of type ordinarily used, as distinguished from Italic characters. (b) Expressed in letters, not in figures, as I., IV., i., iv., etc.; -- said of numerals, as distinguished from the Arabic numerals, 1, 4, etc.

Roman alum (Chem.), a cubical potassium alum formerly obtained in large quantities from Italian alunite, and highly valued by dyers on account of its freedom from iron. -- Roman balance, a form of balance nearly resembling the modern steelyard. See the Note under Balance, n., 1. -- Roman candle, a kind of firework (generally held in the hand), characterized by the continued emission of shower of sparks, and the ejection, at intervals, of brilliant balls or stars of fire which are thrown upward as they become ignited. -- Roman Catholic, of, pertaining to, or the religion of that church of which the pope is the spiritual head; as, a Roman Catholic priest; the Roman Catholic Church. -- Roman cement, a cement having the property of hardening under water; a species of hydraulic cement. -- Roman law. See under Law. -- Roman nose, a nose somewhat aquiline. -- Roman ocher, a deep, rich orange color, transparent and durable, used by artists. Ure. -- Roman order (Arch.), the composite order. See Composite, a., 2.

Ro"man, n. 1. A native, or permanent resident, of Rome; a citizen of Rome, or one upon whom certain rights and privileges of a Roman citizen were conferred.

2. Roman type, letters, or print, collectively; -- in distinction from Italics.

Ro*mance" (?), n. [OE. romance, romant, romaunt, OF. romanz, romans, romant, roman, F. roman, romance, fr. LL. Romanice in the Roman language, in the vulgar tongue, i. e., in the vulgar language which sprang from Latin, the language of the Romans, and hence applied to fictitious compositions written in this vulgar tongue; fr. L. Romanicus Roman, fr. Romanus. See Roman, and cf. Romanic, Romaunt, Romansch, Romanza.] 1. A species of fictitious writing, originally composed in meter in the Romance dialects, and afterward in prose, such as the tales of the court of Arthur, and of Amadis of Gaul; hence, any fictitious and wonderful tale; a sort of novel, especially one which treats of surprising adventures usually befalling a hero or a heroine; a tale of extravagant adventures, of love, and the like. "Romances that been royal." Chaucer.

Upon these three columns -- chivalry, gallantry, and religion -- repose the fictions of the Middle Ages, especially those known as romances. These, such as we now know them, and such as display the characteristics above mentioned, were originally metrical, and chiefly written by nations of the north of France.

Hallam.

2. An adventure, or series of extraordinary events, resembling those narrated in romances; as, his courtship, or his life, was a romance.

3. A dreamy, imaginative habit of mind; a disposition to ignore what is real; as, a girl full of romance.

4. The languages, or rather the several dialects, which were originally forms of popular or vulgar Latin, and have now developed into Italian. Spanish, French, etc. (called the Romanic languages).