"Holy Roller" meaning in English

See Holy Roller in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: Holy Rollers [plural]
Etymology: From the practice of some devout Pentecostals who would roll on the floor of the church in response to the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Head templates: {{en-noun|head=Holy Roller}} Holy Roller (plural Holy Rollers)
  1. (informal, usually derogatory) A member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour; especially of the Pentecostal Church. Tags: derogatory, informal, usually Categories (topical): Christianity, People Translations (member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour): hihhuli (Finnish), daachxago ndaamaasí (Navajo), diyin naaʼnaʼí (Navajo)
    Sense id: en-Holy_Roller-en-noun--~fD-BaB Disambiguation of Christianity: 46 54 Disambiguation of People: 98 2 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Navajo translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 47 53 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 52 48 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 50 50 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 47 53 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 45 55 Disambiguation of Terms with Navajo translations: 45 55 Disambiguation of 'member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour': 84 16
  2. (informal, derogatory) A devoutly religious Christian person. Tags: derogatory, informal Categories (topical): Christianity Translations (derogative: devoutly religious person): hihhuli (Finnish), szentfazék (Hungarian), bigotto (Italian)
    Sense id: en-Holy_Roller-en-noun-0IacWAcY Disambiguation of Christianity: 46 54 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Navajo translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 47 53 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 37 63 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 52 48 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 50 50 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 47 53 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 39 61 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 45 55 Disambiguation of Terms with Navajo translations: 45 55 Disambiguation of 'derogative: devoutly religious person': 15 85

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_text": "From the practice of some devout Pentecostals who would roll on the floor of the church in response to the infilling of the Holy Spirit.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Holy Rollers",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "head": "Holy Roller"
      },
      "expansion": "Holy Roller (plural Holy Rollers)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "50 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Navajo translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 54",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Christianity",
          "orig": "en:Christianity",
          "parents": [
            "Abrahamism",
            "Religion",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "98 2",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Coordinate term: Holy Jumper"
        },
        {
          "text": "I attended a worship service where I was astounded to see holy rollers convulsing on the floor and speaking in tongues.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1911, “The Preacher and the Slave”, Joe Hill (music):",
          "text": "Holy Rollers and Jumpers come out / And they holler, they jump and they shout / Give your money to Jesus, they say / He will cure all diseases today",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1917, Upton Sinclair, The Profits of Religion […] :",
          "text": "Also there are the \"Holy Rollers\" and \"Holy Jumpers\", ghastly sects which cultivate the religious hysterias, and have spread like a plague among the women of our lonely prairie farms and desert ranches.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1960, John Updike, 'Rabbit, Run', page 20:",
          "text": "He told her the Methodist had at last broken down and cut the strip of grass himself. Mother believed it but wasn't pleased; she talked all the rest of the day and off and on all week about suing the old holy-roller.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1969 January 17, “Essay: Are the WASPS Coming Back? Have They Ever Been Away?”, in Time, →ISSN:",
          "text": "At the narrowest, Wasps form a select band of well-heeled, well-descended members of the Eastern Establishment; at the widest, they include Okies and Snopeses, \"Holy Rollers\" and hillbillies.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1989, Leon Capetanos, Fletch Lives, spoken by Hamilton Johnson (Hal Holbrook):",
          "text": "They took advantage of her, these holy rollers. When she was at death's door, they preyed on her faith and her fear. When she was no longer able to make rational decisions, persuaded her to give away our land for that amusement park.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour; especially of the Pentecostal Church."
      ],
      "id": "en-Holy_Roller-en-noun--~fD-BaB",
      "links": [
        [
          "Christian",
          "Christian"
        ],
        [
          "church",
          "church"
        ],
        [
          "ecstatic",
          "ecstatic"
        ],
        [
          "Pentecostal Church",
          "Pentecostal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, usually derogatory) A member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour; especially of the Pentecostal Church."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "informal",
        "usually"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "84 16",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour",
          "word": "hihhuli"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 16",
          "code": "nv",
          "lang": "Navajo",
          "sense": "member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour",
          "word": "daachxago ndaamaasí"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 16",
          "code": "nv",
          "lang": "Navajo",
          "sense": "member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour",
          "word": "diyin naaʼnaʼí"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "37 63",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "50 50",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "47 53",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "39 61",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Navajo translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "46 54",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Christianity",
          "orig": "en:Christianity",
          "parents": [
            "Abrahamism",
            "Religion",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "She's such a holy roller that she steers every conversation around to the joys of religion.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A devoutly religious Christian person."
      ],
      "id": "en-Holy_Roller-en-noun-0IacWAcY",
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "religious",
          "religious"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, derogatory) A devoutly religious Christian person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "informal"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "15 85",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "derogative: devoutly religious person",
          "word": "hihhuli"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 85",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "derogative: devoutly religious person",
          "word": "szentfazék"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "15 85",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "derogative: devoutly religious person",
          "word": "bigotto"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Holy Roller"
  ],
  "word": "Holy Roller"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Navajo translations",
    "en:Christianity",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the practice of some devout Pentecostals who would roll on the floor of the church in response to the infilling of the Holy Spirit.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Holy Rollers",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "head": "Holy Roller"
      },
      "expansion": "Holy Roller (plural Holy Rollers)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Coordinate term: Holy Jumper"
        },
        {
          "text": "I attended a worship service where I was astounded to see holy rollers convulsing on the floor and speaking in tongues.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1911, “The Preacher and the Slave”, Joe Hill (music):",
          "text": "Holy Rollers and Jumpers come out / And they holler, they jump and they shout / Give your money to Jesus, they say / He will cure all diseases today",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1917, Upton Sinclair, The Profits of Religion […] :",
          "text": "Also there are the \"Holy Rollers\" and \"Holy Jumpers\", ghastly sects which cultivate the religious hysterias, and have spread like a plague among the women of our lonely prairie farms and desert ranches.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1960, John Updike, 'Rabbit, Run', page 20:",
          "text": "He told her the Methodist had at last broken down and cut the strip of grass himself. Mother believed it but wasn't pleased; she talked all the rest of the day and off and on all week about suing the old holy-roller.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1969 January 17, “Essay: Are the WASPS Coming Back? Have They Ever Been Away?”, in Time, →ISSN:",
          "text": "At the narrowest, Wasps form a select band of well-heeled, well-descended members of the Eastern Establishment; at the widest, they include Okies and Snopeses, \"Holy Rollers\" and hillbillies.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1989, Leon Capetanos, Fletch Lives, spoken by Hamilton Johnson (Hal Holbrook):",
          "text": "They took advantage of her, these holy rollers. When she was at death's door, they preyed on her faith and her fear. When she was no longer able to make rational decisions, persuaded her to give away our land for that amusement park.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour; especially of the Pentecostal Church."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Christian",
          "Christian"
        ],
        [
          "church",
          "church"
        ],
        [
          "ecstatic",
          "ecstatic"
        ],
        [
          "Pentecostal Church",
          "Pentecostal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, usually derogatory) A member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour; especially of the Pentecostal Church."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "informal",
        "usually"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English derogatory terms",
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "She's such a holy roller that she steers every conversation around to the joys of religion.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A devoutly religious Christian person."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "religious",
          "religious"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal, derogatory) A devoutly religious Christian person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour",
      "word": "hihhuli"
    },
    {
      "code": "nv",
      "lang": "Navajo",
      "sense": "member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour",
      "word": "daachxago ndaamaasí"
    },
    {
      "code": "nv",
      "lang": "Navajo",
      "sense": "member of any Christian church characterized by ecstatic behaviour",
      "word": "diyin naaʼnaʼí"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "derogative: devoutly religious person",
      "word": "hihhuli"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "derogative: devoutly religious person",
      "word": "szentfazék"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "derogative: devoutly religious person",
      "word": "bigotto"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Holy Roller"
  ],
  "word": "Holy Roller"
}

Download raw JSONL data for Holy Roller meaning in English (4.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.