rúllur

Rúllur is an Icelandic noun that broadly means “roll” and is used in several related senses. In everyday language, it most commonly refers to a small bread product shaped into a roll, typically eaten as part of a meal or as a snack. Depending on context, rúllur can denote plain bread rolls as well as filled or savory varieties.

In technical and industrial usage, rúllur describes a roller—a cylindrical component that rotates to support, guide, or transmit motion in machinery. Examples include rollers in conveyors, printing presses, or other equipment where rolling elements reduce friction or help move materials.

Beyond food and machinery, rúllur can appear in phrases or compound terms where the sense of rolling or a rolled object is central. The word is closely related to the verb rúlla, meaning to roll, and the noun form can function as a general label for objects characterized by their rolled shape.

Etymology and related terms are rooted in the general Icelandic concept of rolling or turning. The form and use of rúllur vary by context, with the primary distinctions being culinary (bread products) and mechanical (cylindrical rotating components).

See also: to roll (rúlla), roller, rolling in a mechanical sense.