Meaning & use
lint roller
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Meaning
nouncountable
A small tool with a sticky surface on a handle, rolled over clothes or furniture to pick up bits of thread and hair.
Grammar: Countable: say 'a lint roller' for one, 'two lint rollers' for more.
Patterns
- use a lint roller on something
- run a lint roller over something
- a lint roller for clothes
Before the interview, she used a lint roller on her dark suit.
He keeps a lint roller in his desk drawer for quick cleanups.
The cat hair came off the sofa easily with a lint roller.
Word forms
| plural | lint rollers |
|---|
Common combinations
- sticky lint roller
- A sticky lint roller works better than a brush for pet hair.
- use a lint roller
- Please use a lint roller before you go on stage.
- run a lint roller over
- She ran a lint roller over the cushion to remove crumbs.
- lint roller sheet
- Peel off the used lint roller sheet when it stops being sticky.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lint brush
- A lint brush has bristles or a rough surface instead of sticky paper; it can be reused but may not pick up fine hair as well.
- clothes brush
- A clothes brush is for brushing off dust and dirt from garments, not mainly for sticky removal of lint.
Commonly confused: lint roller or lint remover?
lint roller vs lint remover
In British English, 'lint remover' is a common name for the same object. 'Lint roller' is the usual American term and is also understood in the UK.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'Use something on something' is the correct pattern: you apply the tool to the surface. 'At' suggests direction only, 'to' is not used this way, and 'of' shows possession, not contact.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lint roller”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.