scroll

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/skroʊl/
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A rolled document, screen movement, the act of moving through screen content, or a decorative spiral shape.

Examples

  • The priest read from an ancient scroll.
  • The long scroll through comments took several minutes.
  • The infinite scroll keeps loading new posts.
  • The manuscript scroll had faded with age.
  • She tied the scroll with a red ribbon.

Similar words

swipe
navigation
roll-up
manuscript
move
flourish
curl
page through
scan
spiral

Meanings

Rolled document

noun
everyday
neutral
A long roll of paper, parchment, or similar material with writing or pictures on it.

Usage

Use scroll for a rolled document, especially in historical, religious, ceremonial, or fantasy contexts. For an ordinary modern file or sheet, document or paper is usually clearer.

Examples

  • The priest read from an ancient scroll.
  • The museum displayed a fragile parchment scroll.
  • She tied the scroll with a red ribbon.
  • The map was drawn on a long scroll.
  • A royal decree arrived on a sealed scroll.
  • The manuscript scroll had faded with age.

Common mistakes

A scroll paper is not the usual phrase. Use a scroll, a parchment scroll, or a paper scroll.
IncorrectCorrect
The king opened a scroll paper The king opened a scroll
They found an ancient roll scroll They found an ancient scroll
The message was written in a scroll The message was written on a scroll

Similar words

Moving screen content

noun
technical
neutral
The movement of text, images, or a page on a screen so that different parts become visible.

Usage

Use scroll as a noun in computing for the movement itself or for a continuous feed of content. In interface writing, scrolling is often clearer for the action.

Examples

  • The infinite scroll keeps loading new posts.
  • The page uses a smooth scroll effect.
  • A fast scroll can make text hard to read.
  • The menu appears after a short scroll.
  • The app tracks the user's scroll depth.
  • The long scroll through comments took several minutes.

Common mistakes

Make a scroll down mixes noun and verb patterns. Use scroll down as a verb or the scroll when naming the movement.
IncorrectCorrect
Make a scroll down to see more Scroll down to see more
The page has many scroll The page has a lot of scrolling
Use the mouse for scroll Use the mouse to scroll

Similar words

Move through screen content

verb
technical
neutral
To move text, images, or a page up, down, or sideways on a screen so that another part can be seen.

Usage

Use scroll with directions such as up, down, left, and right. The object can be a page, feed, document, or screen.

Examples

  • Scroll down to read the next section.
  • She scrolled through the photos on her phone.
  • Use two fingers to scroll on the trackpad.
  • I scrolled back up to check the title.
  • The page scrolls smoothly on mobile.
  • He kept scrolling until he found the message.

Common mistakes

Scroll the page down is possible, but scroll down the page or simply scroll down is usually smoother.
IncorrectCorrect
Scroll to down Scroll down
I scrolled the website to find it I scrolled through the website to find it
Scroll down the button Scroll down to the button

Similar words

Spiral decoration

noun
literary
technical
A decorative spiral or curling design, often used in art, architecture, furniture, or metalwork.

Usage

Use scroll for a curled ornamental shape, especially in art history, design, and craft. Scrollwork names decoration made from such repeated forms.

Examples

  • The iron gate was decorated with scrolls.
  • A carved scroll framed the mirror.
  • The manuscript border included leaves and scrolls.
  • The column ended in a stone scroll.
  • Her initials were surrounded by floral scrolls.
  • The designer copied a Renaissance scroll motif.

Common mistakes

Scroll design may be clear, but scrollwork is the usual noun for decorative patterns made of scroll shapes.
IncorrectCorrect
The gate has many scroll designs The gate has scrollwork
The chair was decorated by scroll The chair was decorated with scrolls
The artist painted a flower scrolling The artist painted a floral scroll

Similar words

Usage

Scroll changes meaning by context. In history it is a rolled document, in technology it is screen movement, and in design it is a curling ornament.

Common mistakes

Scroll down is a verb phrase, not a noun phrase. Use scroll down for the action, scrolling for the process, and a scroll for the old rolled document.

Etymology

From Old French escroue or escroe, meaning a roll of parchment or written list, from a Germanic source. The computing sense developed from the older idea of moving through a long written surface.

FAQ

What does scroll mean?

Scroll can mean a rolled document, screen movement, the action of moving through a page, or a spiral decoration.

What does scroll down mean?

Scroll down means move lower on a screen or page so that more content becomes visible.

Is scroll a noun or a verb?

It is both. A scroll can be a rolled document or screen movement. To scroll means to move through content on a screen.

What is an ancient scroll?

An ancient scroll is a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper with writing or pictures on it.

What is infinite scroll?

Infinite scroll is a web or app design where new content keeps loading as the user moves down the page.

What is scrollwork?

Scrollwork is decoration made from curled or spiral shapes, often in metalwork, carving, or architecture.

What is the difference between scroll and swipe?

Scroll is the movement through content. Swipe is often the finger gesture used to make that movement.

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