steamroller

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: steam roller

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

steam +‎ roller

Noun[edit]

steamroller (plural steamrollers)

  1. (historical) A steam-powered heavy road roller.
  2. (by extension, informal) Any heavy road roller.
  3. (figurative) Any seemingly irresistible force.
    • 1970, James Taylor (lyrics and music), “Steamroller Blues”:
      Well, I'm a steamroller, babe / I'm bound to roll all over you
  4. (slang) A pipe, used for smoking cannabis, open at both ends and having a bowl near one end.
    • 2005, Jane Smiley, John Kulka, Natalie Danford, editors, Best New American Voices 2006, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 242:
      It's more about him testing his wares. He rolls joints. He doesn't own a bong, hookah, smoking pipe, chillum, vaporizer, scale, dugout system, grinder, or steamroller.

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

steamroller (third-person singular simple present steamrollers, present participle steamrollering, simple past and past participle steamrollered)

  1. To level a road using a steamroller.
    Synonym: steamroll
  2. To proceed ruthlessly against all opposition as if with an overwhelming force.
    Synonyms: overpower, steamroll

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]