A cylindrical pipe usually made from glass that is open on both ends with the bowl extending from the top near one end. The smoker covers one end with her hand while filling the pipe with smoke, then removes her hand to clear the chamber.
A steamroller (or steam roller) is a form of road roller – a type of heavy construction machinery used for leveling surfaces, such as roads or airfields – that is powered by a steam engine. The leveling/flattening action is achieved through a combination of the size and weight of the vehicle and the rolls: the smooth wheels and the large cylinder or drum fitted in place of treaded road wheels.
The majority of steam rollers are outwardly similar to traction engines as many traction engine manufacturers later produced rollers based on their existing designs, and the patents owned by certain roller manufacturers tended to influence the general arrangements used by others. The key difference between the two vehicles is that on a roller the main roll replaces the front wheels and axle that would be fitted to a traction engine, and the driving wheels are smooth-tired.
The word steamroller frequently refers to road rollers in general, regardless of the method of propulsion.
English
Alternative forms
- steam roller
Etymology
From steam + roller.
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈstimˌroʊlɚ/
Noun
steamroller (plural steamrollers)
- (historical) A steam-powered heavy road roller.
- (by extension, informal) Any heavy road roller.
- (figurative) Any seemingly irresistible force.
- (slang) A pipe, used for smoking cannabis, open at both ends