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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

scroll en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /skɹəʊl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • skrōl
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /skɹoʊl/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English scrowle, scrolle, from earlier scrowe, scrouwe (influenced by Middle English rolle), from Old French escroe, escrowe, escrouwe (“scroll, strip of parchment”), from Frankish *skrōda (“a shred”), from Proto-Germanic *skraudō, from *skrew- (“to cut; cutting tool”), extension of *(s)ker- (“to cut”). Doublet of shred and escrow.

Meanings

  1. A roll of paper or parchment; a writing formed into a roll.
  2. An ornament formed of undulations giving off spirals or sprays, usually suggestive of plant form. Roman architectural ornament is largely of some scroll pattern.
  3. Spirals or sprays in the shape of an actual plant.
    • I lose myself in a flawed henna plant jutting toward the scroll. Its rose-pink eyes burst off the stems. 1985, Peter Balakian, “The Oriental Rug”, in Robert Pack, Jay Parini, editors, Introspections: American poets on one of their own poems, Hanover and London: University Press of New England for Middlebury College Press, published 1997, →ISBN, page 31:
  4. A mark or flourish added to a person's signature, intended to represent a seal, and in some States allowed as a substitute for a seal. [U.S.] Alexander Mansfield Burrill.
  5. The carved end of a violin, viola, cello or other stringed instrument, most commonly scroll-shaped but occasionally in the form of a human or animal head.
  6. A skew surface.
  7. A kind of sweet roll baked in a somewhat spiral shape.
    • I ordered a glass of lemonade and a coffee scroll.
  8. The incremental movement of graphics on a screen, removing one portion to show the next.
    • […] the computer sends orders, via electrical impulses, to recompose the liquid crystal structure inside the cells quickly which results in the familiar smooth scroll of the pointer on your screen. 2005, Alberto de Lózar Muñoz, Liquid Crystal Dynamics: Defects, Walls and Gels, page 1:
  9. A spiral waterway placed round a turbine to regulate the flow.
  10. A turbinate bone.
  11. (obsolete) A rough draft of anything.
  12. The act of scrolling.
    • I gave the terms and conditions a quick scroll before signing up to the website.
    • Silicon Valley’s dirtiest design feature – which is everywhere once you spot it – is the infinite scroll, likened to the “bottomless soup bowl” experiment, in which participants will keep mindlessly eating from a soup bowl if it keeps refilling. 2024 December 9, Siân Boyle, “Is doom scrolling really rotting our brains? The evidence is getting harder to ignore”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 26 Feb 2026:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
scrolls Number=Plur lexicographic

Synonyms

fiddlehead

Translations (131)

cy rhôl (roll of paper or parchment) · ru сви́ток (ornament) · uk за́круток (ornament) · lt ritinys (roll of paper or parchment) · cmn 條幅 /条幅 (roll of paper or parchment) · lv vīstoklis (roll of paper or parchment) · el κύλινδρος (roll of paper or parchment) · hy գալարակ (roll of paper or parchment) · pl woluta (ornament) · pdt Schreftroll (roll of paper or parchment) · fa کَراسِه (roll of paper or parchment) · de Buchrolle (roll of paper or parchment) · eo rulpapero (roll of paper or parchment) · sh сви́так (roll of paper or parchment) · mk свиток (roll of paper or parchment) · bg завърту́лка (mark or flourish) · he מְגִלָּה (roll of paper or parchment) · lb Schrëftrulle (roll of paper or parchment) · egy S:f:d-w-V12 (roll of paper or parchment) · ru волю́та (ornament) · uk за́виток (ornament) · uk за́крутка (ornament) · mr पट्टी (roll of paper or parchment) · de Schwung (mark or flourish) · cy sgrôl (roll of paper or parchment) · es voluta (ornament) · de Schnörkel (ornament) · de Rolle (roll of paper or parchment) · el πάπυρος (roll of paper or parchment) · ur طُومار (roll of paper or parchment) · lv tīstoklis (roll of paper or parchment) · ru завиту́шка (mark or flourish) · es rollo (roll of paper or parchment) · de Kringel (mark or flourish) · fi kierukka (ornament) · ru спира́ль (ornament) · uk суві́й (roll of paper or parchment) · de Schriftrolle (roll of paper or parchment) · fr rouleau (de papyrus ou de parchemin) (roll of paper or parchment) · fa طومار (roll of paper or parchment) · sv skriftrulle (roll of paper or parchment) · de Schnecke (end of a musical instrument) · de Spirale (ornament) · hi पुस्तक (roll of paper or parchment) · sh svítak (roll of paper or parchment) · fr volute (end of a musical instrument) · mr गुंडाळी (roll of paper or parchment) · hu papírtekercs (roll of paper or parchment) · de Schnörkel (mark or flourish) · ko 두루마리 (roll of paper or parchment) · hu tekercs (roll of paper or parchment) · da skriftrulle (roll of paper or parchment) · ur پُسْتَک (roll of paper or parchment) · pl zawijas (mark or flourish) · is bókrolla (roll of paper or parchment) · cy rholyn (roll of paper or parchment) · ja 掛物 (ornament) · fa فَروَردِه (roll of paper or parchment) · he מגילה (roll of paper or parchment) · ar طُومَار (roll of paper or parchment) · hu kacskaringó (mark or flourish) · sk zvitok (roll of paper or parchment) · cy troell (ornament) · fr rotulus (roll of paper or parchment) · nl krul (end of a musical instrument) · et rullraamat (roll of paper or parchment) · pl zakrętas (mark or flourish) · bo ཤོག་ཧྲིལ (roll of paper or parchment) · nb skriftrull (roll of paper or parchment) · nl boekrol (roll of paper or parchment) · hy գալար (roll of paper or parchment) · vi cuộn (roll of paper or parchment) · sl zvitek (roll of paper or parchment) · vi cuốn (roll of paper or parchment) · fr papyrus (roll of paper or parchment) · es pergamino (roll of paper or parchment) · tl balumbon (roll of paper or parchment) · ja スクロール (roll of paper or parchment) · fr volute (ornament) · de Volute (ornament) · fr coquille (end of a musical instrument) · fi kierukka (end of a musical instrument) · el περγαμηνή (roll of paper or parchment) · bg сви́тък (roll of paper or parchment) · fr volumen (roll of paper or parchment) · nb bokrull (roll of paper or parchment) · da bogrulle (roll of paper or parchment) · fi käärö (roll of paper or parchment) · bg волу́та (ornament) · fi kiemura (mark or flourish) · mr लेखपट (roll of paper or parchment) · nl schriftrol (roll of paper or parchment) · tr tomar (roll of paper or parchment) · sv bokrulle (roll of paper or parchment) · pl rolka (roll of paper or parchment) · hu csiga (end of a musical instrument) · fi viivoitinpinta (skew surface) · mi takai (roll of paper or parchment) · pl ślimak (end of a musical instrument) · cmn 橫幅 /横幅 (ornament) · fi kirjakäärö (roll of paper or parchment) · pl zwój (roll of paper or parchment) · ru сви́ток (roll of paper or parchment) · ka გრაგნილი (roll of paper or parchment) · ru завито́к (ornament) · pl zwitek (roll of paper or parchment) · pt rolo (roll of paper or parchment) · pl rola (roll of paper or parchment) · zza kerase (roll of paper or parchment) · ja 掛け軸 (ornament) · ko 스크롤 (roll of paper or parchment) · th ม้วนกระดาษ (roll of paper or parchment) · mr सुरळी (roll of paper or parchment) · ja 巻物 (roll of paper or parchment) · la volūmen (roll of paper or parchment) · kk шиыршық (roll of paper or parchment) · cmn 條幅 /条幅 (ornament) · ca rotlle (roll of paper or parchment) · cs svitek (roll of paper or parchment) · ru завито́к (mark or flourish) · pl powierzchnia rozwijalna (skew surface) · cmn 卷軸 /卷轴 (roll of paper or parchment) · kmr tomer (roll of paper or parchment) · grc κεφαλίς (roll of paper or parchment) · cmn 幛子 (ornament) · be суво́й (roll of paper or parchment) · hu kézirattekercs (roll of paper or parchment) · id gulungan (roll of paper or parchment) · pt pergaminho (roll of paper or parchment) · ro volută (ornament) · hu kacskaringó (ornament)

wikidata: Q720106 · wikidata: Q1116074

scroll en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /skɹəʊl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • skrōl
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /skɹoʊl/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English scrowle, scrolle, from earlier scrowe, scrouwe (influenced by Middle English rolle), from Old French escroe, escrowe, escrouwe (“scroll, strip of parchment”), from Frankish *skrōda (“a shred”), from Proto-Germanic *skraudō, from *skrew- (“to cut; cutting tool”), extension of *(s)ker- (“to cut”). Doublet of shred and escrow.

Meanings

  1. (ambitransitive) To change one's view of data on a computer's display by moving in gradual increments, typically using an input device or touch screen.
    • She kept scrolling until she found the desired paragraph.
    • Use the stylus to scroll up and down the list or flip through the pages left and right. 2008, “PDA”, in Cory in the House: Instruction Booklet, Burbank, California: Disney Interactive Studios; Nintendo, page 10:
    • He usually used it to scroll messages across his face. 2011, Scott Sigler, The All-Pro, BookBaby:
    • She scrolled the offending image out of view.
  2. (intransitive) To move in or out of view horizontally or vertically.
    • Pavement scrolled beneath the headlight beams, reminding Emma of a conveyor belt. 2018, Darrin Doyle, Scoundrels Among Us: Stories:
    • The piano plays on. I watch those little rectangles as they scroll down from the top. 2017, Patricia Taxxon, “Player Piano”, in Black and White:
    • The rising credits slowly scrolled off the screen.
  3. (intransitive) To continuously and aimlessly consume content on social media, especially on websites or apps with a scrolling feed, such as Instagram, TikTok, or X.
    • With millions of creators worldwide, many of whom are generating income through brand partnerships, affiliate deals, and platform monetization, influencers are likely popping up any time you pick up a phone to scroll. 2026 March 9, Cyrus Veyssi, “In Defense of Influencers”, in TIME, archived from the original on 14 Mar 2026:
  4. (Internet, dated, intransitive) To flood a chat system with numerous lines of text, causing legitimate messages to scroll out of view before they can be read.
    • Hey, stop scrolling!
    • If you want to join this riot, we urge you to! You wont have to worry about being TOSed or reported because there will be no Guides online! So do whatever you want—punt, scroll, tos, just turn AOL into a war zone! 2003, Michael Newton, The Encyclopedia of High-tech Crime and Crime-fighting, AOL Riot on June 1, 1998, page 21:
    • It's cool but i know why I prefer newsgroups : I just got banned for scrolling or summat : i was typing one word in each message so pppl^([sic]) could read it cos it was going so fast - geez. 1998, rOOth, “Brain's chat”, in alt.music.queen (Usenet):
  5. (obsolete, transitive) To draft; to write in rough outline.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
scrolls Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
scrolled Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
scrolled Tense=Past lexicographic
scrolling Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Coordinates

swipe

Deriveds

scroll wheel · scroll weight · scrollytelling · side scroller · scroll saw · wave scroll · cheesymite scroll · overscroll · Vitruvian scroll · bloomscrolling · scroll bar · garlic scroll · scroll lock · doomscrolling · infinite scroll · scroll-gall · push-scrolling · side-scrolling

Descendants

scrollar · skrolla · scrollować · scrollen · скро́ллить · scrolle

Translations (41)

fi vierittää (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · ru скро́ллить (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · da scrolle (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · sv skrolla (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · pl przewinąć (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · is skruna (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · uk прокру́чувати (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · uk прокрути́ти (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · ro derula (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · ca fer scroll (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · mi panuku (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · cmn 滾動 /滚动 (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · nb skrolle (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · cs skrolovat (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · de scrollen (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · pt deslocar (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · fo skrulla (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · uk скро́лити (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · sv rulla (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · es desplazarse (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · pl scrollować (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · hu görget (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · ca lliscar (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · es scrolear (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · eo rulumi (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · ms selak (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · cmn 滾屏 /滚屏 (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · ru скролли́ровать (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · fr scroller (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · fr faire défiler (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · pl przescrollować (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · pt rolar (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · nl scrollen (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · nrf rouôler (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · ro scrolla (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · haw lolelole (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · pl przewijać (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · is skrolla (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · nn skrolla (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · es desplazar (to change one's view of data on a computer's display) · cy rholio (to change one's view of data on a computer's display)