0 (of a person) short and round: --
He was a roly-poly little man.
1 a sweet dish made with thick pastry that is spread with jam, rolled up, and cooked: --
jam roly-poly
2 a small, dark grey creature with a hard outer shell, found under stones or in slightly wet soil: --
She was born a roly-poly plump baby, and remained so until she was seven.
The bottom of a roly-poly toy is round, roughly a hemisphere.
A toy manufacturer recommends roly-poly toys for small children just developing motor skills; a child can bat at it without its rolling away.
Many roly-poly toys are hollow, with a weight inside the bottom.
The actor, with his roly-poly build, was a frequent choice of directors who wanted to add comedy to serious movies.
The roly-poly youngster's stay with the series was brief, but made a memorable impression on generations of fans.
Okiagari-koboshi are roly-poly toys made from papier-mch, dating back to at least the 14th-century.
He was always cheerful, and always gave a roly-poly response.
