role

Definitions

1. noun

   A part played by an actor.

   Examples

   • My neighbor had the lead role in last year's village play.
   • Her dream was to get a role in a big movie.
2. noun

   The way a person is expected to act in society.

   Examples

   • The role of women has changed over the last century.
   • Every culture has different roles for parents and children.
3. noun

   The job or purpose of someone or something.

   Examples

   • Local volunteers played an important role in cleaning the beach.
   • What role does ear wax play?
4. noun

   A job title with a set of duties or rights.

   Examples

   • The project manager role is to make sure the team knows its tasks.
   • I set up a new role with limited permissions.
5. noun

   The job a word does in a sentence.

   Examples

   • The role of an adjective is to describe a noun.
   • In this sentence, quickly plays the role of an adverb.
6. noun

   In one programming language, a piece of code that adds features to a class.

   Examples

   • The class uses a role to gain extra methods.
   • Programmers often use a role instead of inheritance.
7. noun

   An old unit of writing material, in a spelling variant.

   Examples

   • The scribe ordered a role of fine parchment.
   • One role of parchment could make several small books.