roly-poly
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roly-poly
- /ˌɹəʊlɪˈpəʊli/ UK
- /ˈɹoʊliˈpoʊli/ US
Where it comes from
The noun is apparently derived from roll (“to turn over and over”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’), reduplicated with a change of the initial consonant. Compare rolly (“having the ability to roll, rolling”, adjective), which is attested since the 19th century.
Noun sense 1.7 (“mischievous or worthless person”) is possibly influenced by poll (“head; (archaic) scalp; (by extension) person”).
The adjective and adverb are attested later than the noun, and so are probably derived from it.
noun roly-polys · roly-polies · rolly polly · rolly-poly · rolly-pooly
- A toy that rights itself when pushed over. BOBO The Roly Poly Clown / Punch him—beat him—tackle him—Bobo will bounce right back with a smile!
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A short, plump person (especially a child).
The Germans have a great idea that you must "stärken (strengthen)" yourself. So they eat every few hours. […] The German women are plump roly-polies, as a general rule, and it is probably in consequence of this continual "strengthening."
Similar: All are derogatory unless otherwise labeled, butterball, chod, chodder, chubbs, chubster, chunker, chunky monkey, elephant, fat, fatfuck, fatso
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A forward roll or sideways roll.
When you are finished with circle time, dismiss your children by helping each one do a roly-poly roll (a somersault) and roll away to their next activity.
Similar: somersault
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Synonym of tumbleweed (“any plant which habitually breaks away from its roots once dry, forming a light, rolling mass which is driven by the wind from place to place”); specifically, the prickly Russian thistle (Kali tragus or Salsola tragus).
Similar: tumbleweed
- A baked or steamed pudding made from suet pastry which is spread with fruit or jam (or occasionally other fillings) and then rolled up. [page 135] "Fanny has made the roly-poly pudding," says he; "the chops are my part. Here's a fine one; try this, Goldmore." […] [page 137] The three mutton-chops consumed by him were best of the mutton kind; the potatoes were perfect of their order; as for the roly-poly, it was too good.
- In full roly-poly bug: a small terrestrial invertebrate which tends to roll into a ball when disturbed, such as a woodlouse (suborder Oniscidea, especially a pill bug (family Armadillidiidae) or a sowbug (family Porcellionidae)) or a pill millipede (superorder Oniscomorpha). A roly-poly had found his way inside the house; I reasoned that the tiny varmint had crawled up the steps. […] The creatures are no more than an inch long, and when you touch them they roll themselves into a tight gray ball.
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A mischievous or worthless person; a scoundrel, a rascal.
Ile haue thee in league vvith theſe tvvo rovvly povvlies: they ſhal be thy Damons and thou their Pithy-aſſe; […]
Similar: agitator, bad boy, bad news, bear, beggar, bhoy, blackguard, booger, boot boy, bovver boy, brat, brawler
- An activity or game involving rolling. If this be your Play (quoth John) that vve may not be like a Quaker's dumb Meeting, let us begin ſome Diverſion; vvhat d'ye think of Rouly-Pouly, or a Country-Dance?
- A game involving people (usually children) rolling down a slope. Often I did view the shade / Where once a nest my eyes did fill, / And often mark'd the place I play'd / At "roly poly" down the hill.
- A game in which balls are rolled along the floor to knock down pins, or bowled into holes, or thrown into hats placed on the ground. This is one of the games prohibited by Edward IV.; and received its denomination from being played with one half of a sphere of wood. Half-bowl is practised to this day in Hertfordshire, where it is commonly called rolly-polly; and it is best performed upon the floor of a room, especially if it be s
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Synonym of roulette (“a game of chance in which a small ball is made to move round rapidly on a circle divided off into numbered red and black spaces, the one on which it stops indicating the result of a variety of wagers permitted by the game”).
And be it further enacted by the Authority aforeſaid, That if any Perſon or Perſons whatſoever ſhall, after the ſaid Twenty fourth Day of June, One thouſand ſeven hundred and forty five, play at the ſaid Game of Roulet, otherwiſe Roly-poly, or at any Game of Chance with Cards or Dice, already prohib
Similar: roulette
adjective more roly-poly · most roly-poly
- Moving with a rolling and swaying motion. "Oh! Mother, Mother, there has been an old man rat in the dairy—a dreadful 'normous big rat, mother; and he's stolen a pat of butter and the rolling-pin." […] "A rolling-pin?" said Ribby. "Did we not hear a roly-poly noise in the attic when we were looking into that chest?" Ribby and Tabitha rushed
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Short and plump; squat.
She had been waiting for the little roly-poly man to tumble and roll along the deck, and had been mentally indulging her sense of humour on the scene.
Similar: ample, beer-bellied, big, bulky, chubby, chunky, embonpoint, fat, flabby, fleshy, full-figured, fulsome
adverb
- By rolling, so as to roll. Tom Kitten bit and spat, and mewed and wriggled; and the rolling-pin went roly-poly, roly; roly, poly, roly.
- Without hesitating; directly; hence, in a thoughtless manner; indiscriminately. At your pleaſure thats rare; then rovvlie, povvlie, our vviues ſhall lye at your commaund: […]
Translations
Every language
noun toy that rights itself when pushed over
| Español | dominguillo, mono porfiado, muñeco porfiado, porfiado, siempretieso, tentempié |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 오뚝이 ottugi |
| 日本語 | 起き上がり小法師 |
| 中文 | 不倒翁 bùdǎowēng |
| Português | joão-bobo, sempre em pé, joão-teimoso |
| Français | culbuto, poussah, poussa, ramponeau, ramponneau |
| Deutsch | Stehaufmanderl, Stehaufmännchen |
| Italiano | misirizzi |
| Română | hopa-mitică |
| Русский | неваля́шка nevaljáška, ва́нька-вста́нька vánʹka-vstánʹka |
| Tiếng Việt | lật đật |
| עברית | נַחוּם תָּקוּם naḥūm tå̄qūm |
noun short, plump person (especially a child)
| Deutsch | Pummelchen |
|---|---|
| Русский | пуза́н puzán |
Talk about this word "roly-poly." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/roly-poly. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. roly-poly. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/roly-poly "roly-poly." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/roly-poly.Cite this
@misc{roly_poly_2026,
title = {roly-poly},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/roly-poly},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
