roll vs sweep

roll

noun
  • An instance of the act of rolling an aircraft through one or more complete rotations about its longitudinal axis. 

  • A winning streak of continuing luck, especially at gambling (and especially in the phrase on a roll). 

  • A heavy, reverberatory sound. 

  • A swagger or rolling gait. 

  • A quantity of cloth wound into a cylindrical form. 

  • A catalogue or list, (especially) one kept for official purposes. 

  • The act of, or total resulting from, rolling one or more dice. 

  • A document written on a piece of parchment, paper, or other materials which may be rolled up; a scroll. 

  • A training match for a fighting dog. 

  • One of a set of revolving cylinders, or rollers, between which metal is pressed, formed, or smoothed, as in a rolling mill. 

  • A cylindrical twist of tobacco. 

  • A kind of shortened raised biscuit or bread, often rolled or doubled upon itself; see also bread roll. 

  • The rotation angle about the longitudinal axis. 

  • Any of various financial instruments or transactions that involve opposite positions at different expiries, "rolling" a position from one expiry to another. 

  • A forward or backward roll in gymnastics; going head over heels. A tumble. 

  • The uniform beating of a drum with strokes so rapid as scarcely to be distinguished by the ear. 

  • The measure or extent to which a vessel rotates from side to side, about its fore-and-aft axis. 

  • That which is rolled up. 

  • A measure of parchments, containing five dozen. 

  • An instance of the act of righting a canoe or kayak which has capsized, without exiting the watercraft, or being assisted. 

  • The skill of righting a canoe or kayak which has capsized, without exiting the watercraft, or being assisted. 

  • The act or result of rolling, or state of being rolled. 

  • The oscillating movement of a nautical vessel as it rotates from side to side, about its fore-and-aft axis, causing its sides to go up and down, as distinguished from the alternate rise and fall of bow and stern called pitching; or the equivalent in an aircraft. 

  • An official or public document; a register; a record. 

  • A heavy cylinder used to break clods. 

verb
  • To travel by sailing. 

  • To cause to betray secrets or to testify for the prosecution. 

  • To enrobe in toilet-paper (as a prank or spectacle). 

  • To perform a periodical revolution; to move onward as with a revolution. 

  • To cause to revolve by turning over and over; to move by turning on an axis; to impel forward by causing to turn over and over on a supporting surface. 

  • To leave or begin a journey. 

  • To engage in sparring in the context of jujitsu or other grappling disciplines. 

  • To load ocean freight cargo onto a vessel other than the one it was meant to sail on. 

  • To move, like waves or billows, with alternate swell and depression. 

  • To rotate about the fore-and-aft axis, causing its sides to go up and down. Compare pitch. 

  • To make a loud or heavy rumbling noise. 

  • To slip past (a defender) with the ball. 

  • To wrap (something) round on itself; to form into a spherical or cylindrical body by causing to turn over and over. 

  • To tumble in gymnastics; to do a somersault. 

  • To be wound or formed into a cylinder or ball. 

  • To beat with rapid, continuous strokes, as a drum; to sound a roll upon. 

  • to move and cause an effect on someone 

  • To create a new character in a role-playing game, especially by using dice to determine properties. 

  • To throw dice. 

  • To generate a random number. 

  • To have a rolling aspect. 

  • To create a customized version of. 

  • To (cause to) film. 

  • To utter with an alveolar trill. 

  • To beat up; to assault. 

  • To be under the influence of MDMA (a psychedelic stimulant, also known as ecstasy). 

  • To bind or involve by winding, as in a bandage; to enwrap; often with up. 

  • To compete, especially with vigor. 

  • To behave in a certain way; to adopt a general disposition toward a situation. 

  • To turn over in one's mind; to revolve. 

  • To roll dice such that they form a given pattern or total. 

  • To turn over and over. 

  • To apply (one line or surface) to another without slipping; to bring all the parts of (one line or surface) into successive contact with another, in such a manner that at every instant the parts that have been in contact are equal. 

  • To drive or impel forward with an easy motion, as of rolling. 

  • To spread itself under a roller or rolling-pin. 

  • To utter copiously, especially with sounding words; to utter with a deep sound; — often with forth, or out. 

  • To press or level with a roller; to spread or form with a roll, roller, or rollers. 

  • To move, or cause to be moved, upon, or by means of, rollers or small wheels. 

  • To betray secrets. 

sweep

noun
  • The degree to which an aircraft's wings are angled backwards (or, occasionally, forwards) from their attachments to the fuselage. 

  • Any of several sea chubs in the family Kyphosidae (subfamily Scorpidinae). 

  • The compass of any turning body or of any motion. 

  • Violent and general destruction. 

  • A flow of water parallel to shore caused by wave action at an ocean beach or at a point or headland. 

  • A long pole, or piece of timber, moved on a horizontal fulcrum fixed to a tall post and used to raise and lower a bucket in a well for drawing water. 

  • A lottery, usually on the results of a sporting event, where players win if their randomly chosen team wins. 

  • A person who stands at the stern of a surf boat, steering with a steering oar and commanding the crew. 

  • A single action of sweeping. 

  • The person who steers a dragon boat. 

  • A methodical search, typically for bugs (electronic listening devices). 

  • Direction or departure of a curve, a road, an arch, etc. away from a rectilinear line. 

  • A rowing style in which each rower rows with oar on either the port or starboard side. 

  • An expanse or a swath, a strip of land. 

  • A batsman's shot, played from a kneeling position with a swinging horizontal bat. 

  • In the game casino, the act of capturing all face-up cards from the table. 

  • A movable template for making moulds, in loam moulding. 

  • Any of the blades of a windmill. 

  • A chimney sweep. 

  • The sweepings of workshops where precious metals are worked, containing filings, etc. 

  • A large oar used in small vessels, partly to propel them and partly to steer them. 

  • A throw or takedown that primarily uses the legs to attack an opponent's legs. 

verb
  • To clear (a body of water or part thereof) of mines. 

  • To defeat (a team) in a series without drawing or losing any of the games in that series. 

  • To carry with a long, swinging, or dragging motion; hence, to carry in a stately or proud fashion. 

  • To move something in a long sweeping motion, as a broom. 

  • To row with one oar to either the port or starboard side. 

  • To strike with a long stroke. 

  • To pass over, or traverse, with the eye or with an instrument of observation. 

  • To move through a (horizontal) arc or similar long stroke. 

  • To travel quickly. 

  • To win (a series) without drawing or losing any of the games in that series. 

  • To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush. 

  • To remove something abruptly and thoroughly. 

  • To brush the ice in front of a moving stone, causing it to travel farther and to curl less. 

  • To search (a place) methodically. 

  • To draw or drag something over. 

  • To play a sweep shot. 

  • To vacuum a carpet or rug. 

  • To brush against or over; to rub lightly along. 

How often have the words roll and sweep occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )