Rolodex

noun, verb

noun, verb ·3 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A type of rotating file index used for storing addresses, especially in a work context.
  2. 2
    Alternative form of Rolodex. alt-of, alternative
  3. 3
    (trademark) a desktop rotary card index with removable cards; usually used for names, addresses, and telephone numbers wordnet
  4. 4
    One's contact list. broadly
  5. 5
    A large list or category (of something specified). broadly
Verb
  1. 1
    To index, or scan through, in the manner of a rotating file index.

    "I was already mentally Rolodexing through viable excuses."

  2. 2
    Alternative form of Rolodex. alt-of, alternative

Example

More examples

"I was already mentally Rolodexing through viable excuses."

Etymology

Genericized trademark, from rol(ling) + -o- + (in)dex. The brand name was originally part of a range including other items such as the Autodex and Clipodex.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.