roly-poly

[ roh-lee-poh-lee, -poh-lee ]

adjective

1. short and plumply round, as a person or a young animal.

   Synonyms: pudgy, rotund, fat

   Antonyms: scrawny

noun

, plural ro·ly-po·lies.

1. a roly-poly person or thing.
2. Chiefly British. a sheet of biscuit dough spread with jam, fruit, or the like, rolled up and steamed or baked.

roly-poly

/ ˈrəʊlɪˈpəʊlɪ /

adjective

1. plump, buxom, or rotund

noun

1. a strip of suet pastry spread with jam, fruit, or a savoury mixture, rolled up, and baked or steamed as a pudding
2. a plump, buxom, or rotund person
3. an informal name for tumbleweed

Word History and Origins

Origin of roly-poly¹

1595–1605; earlier rowle powle, rowly-powly worthless fellow, game involving rolling balls, rhyming compound based on roll (v.); for second element poll ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of roly-poly¹

C17: apparently by reduplication from roly , from roll

Example Sentences

“Dumplings, yumplings, roly-poly dumplings! Eat you, eat you, we will eat you UP!”

From Literature

The roly-poly rodents chew up and move around large amounts of plant material, damming streams to create ponds where they can hide from predators.

From Los Angeles Times

A distinctive style, star-studded voice cast and the winning Jack Black voicing Po, the roly-poly, dumpling-appreciating Dragon Warrior, is usually a recipe for success, or at least it has been.

From Los Angeles Times

With their roly-poly bodies, child-like eyes, long whiskers and tiny padded paws, otters are some of the most charismatic animals in nature.

From Salon

Temple’s roly-poly Minnesota accent is front and center, but the Golden Age mid-Atlantic expression Leigh breathes into Lorraine is something to savor, especially when she has to devour an unsuspecting man for lunch.

From Salon