roly-poly


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Related to roly-poly: Roly poly bug

ro·ly-po·ly

 (rō′lē-pō′lē)
adj.
Short and plump; pudgy.
n. pl. ro·ly-po·lies
1. A short plump person or thing.
2. See pillbug.
3. Chiefly British A pudding made of jam or fruit rolled up in pastry dough and baked or steamed until soft.

[Alteration and reduplication of roll.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

roly-poly

(ˈrəʊlɪˈpəʊlɪ)
adj
plump, buxom, or rotund
n, pl -lies
1. (Cookery) Brit 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. (Plants) Austral an informal name for tumbleweed
[C17: apparently by reduplication from roly, from roll]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ro•ly-po•ly

(ˈroʊ liˈpoʊ li, -ˌpoʊ li)

adj., n., pl. -lies. adj.
1. short and plumply round.
n.
2. a roly-poly person or thing.
3. Chiefly Brit. a sheet of biscuit dough spread with jam, fruit, or the like, rolled up and steamed or baked.
[1595–1605; earlier rowle powle, rowly-powly worthless fellow, game involving rolling balls, rhyming compound based on roll (v.); for second element compare poll]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.roly-poly - a rotund individualroly-poly - a rotund individual      
large person - a person of greater than average size
2.roly-poly - pudding made of suet pastry spread with jam or fruit and rolled up and baked or steamed
pudding - any of various soft sweet desserts thickened usually with flour and baked or boiled or steamed
Britain, Great Britain, U.K., UK, United Kingdom, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom
Adj.1.roly-poly - short and plump
fat - having an (over)abundance of flesh; "he hadn't remembered how fat she was"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

roly-poly

adjective plump, rounded, fat, overweight, chubby, tubby, buxom, rotund, pudgy, podgy a short roly-poly man
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

roly-poly

adjective
Well-rounded and full in form:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

roly-poly

[ˈrəʊlɪˈpəʊlɪ]
A. N (Brit) (also roly-poly pudding) → brazo m de gitano
B. ADJregordete
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

roly-poly

adj (inf)kugelrund, mopsig (inf)
n
(Brit: also roly-poly pudding) mit Nierentalg hergestellter Strudel, der gebacken oder im Wasserbad gekocht wird
(inf: = plump child) → Rollmops m (inf), → Pummel m (inf)
(inf: = somersault) → Purzelbaum m (inf)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
References in classic literature ?
They both heard a curious roly-poly noise under the attic floor.
"Did we not hear a roly-poly noise in the attic when we were looking into that chest?"
Sure enough the roly-poly noise was still going on quite distinctly under the attic floor
(whose name was Samuel Whiskers),-- "Anna Maria, make me a kitten dumpling roly-poly pudding for my dinner."
Now, for most folks one pair of legs lasts a lifetime, and that must be because they use them mercifully, as a tender-hearted old lady uses her roly-poly old coach-horses.
Never, except when Jerry was below, did the wild one dare venture more than several feet from his retreat, and he went about in fear and trembling of the fat roly-poly puppy who was unafraid of his snarl.
A big sow, followed by a roly-poly litter of seven little ones, marched majestically through the chickens, rooting them out of the way.
In a tight sky-blue suit that made his arms and legs like German sausages, or roly-poly puddings, he was the merriest and most miserable of all the boys.
Get Me Out Of Here!, Redknapp's book will reportedly cover "everything from love, life, jungle-survival and jam roly-poly pudding."
Former Spurs boss Harry, 71, was crowned jungle king last month after fans warmed to his cheeky quips, fondness for jam roly-poly and unstinting love for his wife of 54 years, Sandra.
Former Tottenham boss Harry, 71, was crowned jungle king last month after fans warmed to his cheeky quips, fondness for jam roly-poly and WHACK Harry unstinting love for his wife of 54 years, Sandra.
And he said yesterday: "Everyone is sending me jam roly-poly puddings.