/ɹəʊtʃ/, /ɹoʊt͡ʃ/
OriginFrom Middle English roche, from Old French roche, from Middle Low German roche, ruche (“ray (fish)”), from Old Saxon *rūh, possibly from Proto-Germanic *rūhaz (“rough”).
Cognate with Old English ruhha ("a ray"; > Middle English rouhe, rohȝe), German Rochen (“ray (fish)”).
- Any fish of species in the genus Rutilus, especially
- A common roach (Rutilus rutilus)
- A California roach, of the monotypic genus Hesperoleucus
- USA cockroach.
- US, slangThe butt of a marijuana cigarette.
- US, slangAn entire marijuana cigarette, blunt, or joint.
“In his half hour of free time between brooms it was Willie's custom to smoke his lunch in an alleyway. He'd take just half a roach, only enough to make him feel a new day was starting, no more no less”
- UK, slangThe filter of a rolled cigarette or joint, made from card or paper (often of the cigarette paper packet itself).
“Last toke is the yellowing fabric of the roach, containing the stuff that is less than tobacco.”
- Sail material that forms a concave curve rather than straight leech (aft edge) of a sail to increase the sail area over that of a simple triangular sail.
- A haircut or a similar-looking kind of headdress worn by some of the indigenous peoples of North America, often red.
- UK, obsoleteA bed or stratum of some mineral.
“After long Working of this Coal, it was found upon the rising Grounds, that there lay another Roach of Coal, at the Depth of 14 Yards under it”
- UK, regionalGritty or coarse rock; especially Portland stone or similar limestone.
“The roach, both of the top and bottom beds, is always imperceptibly incorporated with the freestone, which is invariable situated beneath it.”
- Synonym of roach out.
“Yamato roached on his best friend.”
“I stand by it being a horrible call, but Yamdef getting called out for roaching, there’s definitely some irony going on there.”
- transitiveTo cut or shave off the mane of a horse so that the remaining hair stands up on the neck.
- broadly, transitiveTo cut a person's hair so that it stands straight up.
- countable, uncountableA surname from Anglo-Norman
- countable, uncountableA surname from placenames
- countable, uncountableA river in Essex, England, which is a stream before becoming a tidal river and joining the River Crouch; in full, the River Roach.
- countable, uncountableA short river in Piscataquis County, Maine, which flows into Moosehead Lake.
- countable, uncountableA short river in Virginia, a tributary of the Rivanna River.
- countable, uncountableAn unincorporated community in Camden County, Missouri.
- countable, uncountableA ghost town in Clark County, Nevada.
- countable, uncountableAn unincorporated community in Cabell County, West Virginia.
Formsroaches(plural) · roach(plural) · roaches(present, singular, third-person) · roaching(participle, present) · roached(participle, past) · roached(past) · Roachs(plural) · Roaches(plural)