Words & TermsWork, bush and rural life
roll-up
A gathering or assembly; historically a miners' mass meeting.
In a sentence
The miners called a roll-up to debate the new rule.
Where it came from
From the phrasal verb roll up ‘assemble’; goldfields usage made the noun a miners’ mass meeting. Australian National Dictionary Centre goldfields overview confirms the recorded sense and Australian historical context.
- Initial era
- 1850–1899
- Where used
- Australian use; no narrower regional pattern established
- Use today
- Historical mining sense; general assembly sense current