scroll

[ skrohl ]

noun

1. a roll of parchment, paper, copper, or other material, especially one with writing on it:

   a scroll containing the entire Old Testament.

2. something, especially an ornament, resembling a partly unrolled sheet of paper or having a spiral or coiled form.
3. a list, roll, roster, or schedule.
4. (in Japanese and Chinese art) a painting or text on silk or paper that is either displayed on a wall hanging scroll or held by the viewer hand scroll and is rolled up when not in use. Compare kakemono, makimono.
5. the curved head of a violin or other bowed instrument.
6. a note, message, or other piece of writing.

verb (used with object)

1. to cut into a curved form with a narrow-bladed saw.
2. Computers. to move (text) up, down, or across a display screen, with new text appearing on the screen as old text disappears.

verb (used without object)

1. Computers. to move text vertically or horizontally on a display screen in searching for a particular section, line, etc.

scroll

/ skrəʊl /

noun

1. a roll of parchment, paper, etc, usually inscribed with writing
2. an ancient book in the form of a roll of parchment, papyrus, etc
3. 1. a decorative carving or moulding resembling a scroll
   2. ( as modifier )

      a scroll saw

   3. ( in combination )

      scrollwork

verb

1. tr to saw into scrolls
2. to roll up like a scroll
3. computing to move (text) from right to left or up and down on a screen in order to view text that cannot be contained within a single display image

Other Words From

• scroll-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of scroll¹

1350–1400; Middle English scrowle; blend of scrow, aphetic variant of escrow and rowle roll

Word History and Origins

Origin of scroll¹

C15 scrowle, from scrowe, from Old French escroe scrap of parchment, but also influenced by roll

Example Sentences

As you scroll through the statistical smallprint, there are nuggets of good news.

From BBC

“If you really want to remember, then pour yourself a glass of wine and go through your diary or a photo album, or even scroll back on a device yourself,” Mayer-Schönberger said.

From Slate

The cellphone ban in the nation’s second largest school district will take effect in mid-February, about a month later than originally announced, and will also apply to smart watches and any other device that can be used to send messages, receive calls or scroll the internet.

From Los Angeles Times

Threads forces an algorithmic scroll down your throat?

From Slate

And those results almost certainly downplay the ratio of nonsense-to-real news, since most people taking the poll won't want to admit that they mostly scroll TikTok all day and haven't read an actual article in eons.

From Salon

Related Words

• manuscript