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.

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 Word Forms

• 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

Her delighted scrolling through a thicket of ads on a clickbait article on a tip Brad Pitt left someone is a little comic gem.

From Los Angeles Times

Last year, Tim Leggett was scrolling a news app at his home in Texas when he found a list of local people whose bodies had been used in this way.

From BBC

Most of Kim’s job involves scrolling through social media platforms such as TikTok, looking for the next hot-ticket item, such as a distant food trend that shows signs of making landfall.

From Los Angeles Times

And perhaps that is part of the appeal: the chance to feel, if only briefly, that our voices and our outrage can reach beyond the scroll.

From Salon

Adults were also sacrificing sleep or time with families so they could keep scrolling on their phones and tablets, the mayor said.

From BBC

Related Words

• manuscript