unroll

[ uhn-rohl ]

verb (used with object)

1. to open or spread out (something rolled or coiled):

   to unroll a bolt of fabric.

2. to lay open; display; reveal.
3. Obsolete. to strike from a roll or register.

verb (used without object)

1. to become unrolled or spread out:

   The scrolls unroll easily.

2. to become continuously visible or apparent:

   The landscape unrolled before our eyes.

unroll

/ ʌnˈrəʊl /

verb

1. to open out or unwind (something rolled, folded, or coiled) or (of something rolled, etc) to become opened out or unwound
2. to make or become visible or apparent, esp gradually; unfold

Word History and Origins

Origin of unroll¹

First recorded in 1375–1425, unroll is from the late Middle English word unrollen. See un- ², roll

Example Sentences

Some people even unroll tin cans into strips to form parts of their walls.

From BBC

The test will unroll over the next 10 weeks.

From Los Angeles Times

We sat in the heat of the tin-roofed sitting room as the past unrolled on my laptop screen.

From BBC

"Around 14 days after germination, we unrolled the paper so that we could observe the early development of the roots without the interference of any soil adhered to them," says Hochholdinger.

From Science Daily

At night, the carriers rested the Mazu statue in a temple, and hardier pilgrims slept in the temple or on the nearby streets. unrolling thin rubber mattresses.

From New York Times

Related Words

• unfurl