barrel roll

¹

noun

, Aeronautics.

1. a maneuver in which an airplane executes a complete roll by revolving once around its longitudinal axis.

barrel-roll

²

[ bar-uhl-rohl ]

verb (used without object)

, Aeronautics.

1. to perform a barrel roll.

barrel roll

noun

1. a flight manoeuvre in which an aircraft rolls about its longitudinal axis while following a spiral course in line with the direction of flight

verb

1. intr (of an aircraft) to perform a barrel roll

Word History and Origins

Origin of barrel roll¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Origin of barrel roll²

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

“Mustafar is all lava. Kashyyyk is all green jungle. So they feel very different when you get the combos. And then motion-based. Could we do a barrel roll? That’s the fun of doing it, and programming it and trying it. And we needed something else. What have we not done? So with the purrgils, what if we do skiing through the tentacles? We had never done that. So those are the two big motion changes.”

From Los Angeles Times

The student, Darryl George, 18, has locs, or long ropelike strands of hair, that he pins on his head in a barrel roll, a protective style that his mother said reflected Black culture.

From New York Times

Suddenly, she darts away, soaring into a barrel roll.

From National Geographic

Preece and SHR teammate Chase Briscoe made contact coming out of Turn 4, and Preece’s car turned hard left and then went into an uncontrollable barrel roll as soon as it slid from the asphalt to the infield grass.

From Washington Times

Preece and SHR teammate Chase Briscoe made contact coming out of Turn 4, and Preece’s car went into an uncontrollable barrel roll as soon as it slid from the asphalt to the infield grass.

From Seattle Times