*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of roach

From Middle English roche, from Old French roche, from Middle Low German roche, ruche (“ray (fish)”), from Old Saxon *rūh, possibly from Proto-Germanic *rūhaz (“rough”). Cognate with Old English ruhha ("a ray"; > Middle

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

Any fish of species in the genus Rutilus, especially · A common roach (Rutilus rutilus). · Any member of the genus Hesperoleucus of California roaches.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English roche, from Old French roche, from Middle Low German roche, ruche (“ray (fish)”), from Old Saxon *rūh, possibly from Proto-Germanic *rūhaz (“rough”). Cognate with Old English ruhha ("a ray"; > Middle English rouhe, rohȝe), German Rochen (“ray (fish)”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "roche"
      },
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    },
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    },
    {
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        "2": "gml",
        "3": "roche, ruche",
        "4": "",
        "5": "ray (fish)"
      },
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    },
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        "t": "rough"
      },
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    },
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      },
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    },
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      },
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    },
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      },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
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        "3": "",
        "4": "ray (fish)"
      },
      "expansion": "German Rochen (“ray (fish)”)"
    },
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    }
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      "roche",
      "roche#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "ruche",
      "ruche#Middle_Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "*rūh",
      "Reconstruction:Old Saxon/ruh"
    ],
    [
      "*rūhaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/rūhaz"
    ],
    [
      "ruhha",
      "ruhha#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "Middle English",
      "w:Middle English"
    ],
    [
      "rouhe",
      "rouhe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "rohȝe",
      "rohȝe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "Rochen",
      "Rochen#German"
    ],
    [
      "common roach",
      "common roach"
    ],
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      "Rutilus rutilus",
      "Rutilus rutilus#Translingual"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Synonym of cockroach (“type of insect”). · Synonym of cockroach (“as a term of abuse”). · The butt of a marijuana cigarette. · An entire marijuana cigarette, blunt, or joint.

verb

Synonym of roach out.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Back-formation from cockroach, as if it were a compound. Marijuana-related meanings by similarity of appearance of the butt, attested since the 1930s.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

Sail material that forms a concave curve rather than straight leech (aft edge) of a sail to increase the sail area over that of a simple triangular sail. · A haircut or a similar-looking kind of headdress worn by some of the indigenous peoples of North America, often red.

verb

To cut or shave off the mane of a horse so that the remaining hair stands up on the neck. · To cut a person's hair so that it stands straight up.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Apparently from extended or figurative use of roach (“Cyprinidae”), above. Compare the adjective roached (“styled so that the mane stands up from the neck”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

A bed or stratum of some mineral. · Gritty or coarse rock; especially Portland stone or similar limestone.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Variant of roche (“rock”). Attested since the seventeenth century.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

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Contribute located evidence for roach →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
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Import run
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Permanent entry ID
w-cm9hY2g