n. pl. roach·es 1. A roll of hair brushed up from the forehead or temple. 2. A hairstyle especially among certain Native American peoples in which the head is shaved except for a strip from front to back across the top. 3. Nautical a. An outward curve in the leech of a fore-and-aft sail. b. An inward curve in the foot of a square sail. tr.v. roached, roach·ing, roach·es 1. To brush (hair) in a roach. 2. To shave (the mane of a horse) to a short bristle. [Originally meaning “inward curve in a square sail,” from ROACH1 and (in reference to the relatively high arch of the fish's back).] |
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