Role

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Role \Role\, Role \R[^o]le\, n. [F. See {Roll}.]
     A part, or character, performed by an actor in a drama;
     hence, a part of function taken or assumed by any one; as, he
     has now taken the role of philanthropist.
     [1913 Webster]
  


     {Title role}, the part, or character, which gives the title
        to a play, as the part of Hamlet in the play of that name.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  role
       n 1: the actions and activities assigned to or required or
            expected of a person or group; "the function of a
            teacher"; "the government must do its part"; "play its
            role" [syn: {function}, {office}, {part}]
       2: an actor's portrayal of someone in a play; "she played the
          part of Desdemona" [syn: {character}, {theatrical role}, {part},
           {persona}]
       3: what something is used for; "the function of an auger is to
          bore holes"; "ballet is beautiful but what use is it?"
          [syn: {function}, {purpose}, {use}]
       4: normal or customary activity of a person in a particular
          social setting; "what is your role on the team?"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  59 Moby Thesaurus words for "role":
     actor, antagonist, antihero, bit, bit part, capacity, cast,
     character, condition, cue, duty, end use, fat part, feeder,
     function, heavy, hero, heroine, immediate purpose, impersonation,
     ingenue, job, lead, lead role, leading lady, leading man,
     leading woman, lines, office, operation, operational purpose, part,
     person, personage, piece, place, position, post, protagonist,
     province, purpose, quality, relation, responsibility, side,
     situation, soubrette, status, straight part, supporting character,
     supporting role, task, title role, ultimate purpose, use, villain,
     walk-on, walking part, work