pulley
1. a wheel with a grooved rim that a rope or cable runs through, used to lift heavy objects or change the direction of a force
The construction workers used a pulley system with multiple roldanas to lift the steel beams.
Os operários de construção usaram um sistema de roldanas para elevar as vigas de aço.
2. in nautical contexts, a small wheel or roller used in rigging and sailing equipment
The sailing ship's rigging required dozens of roldanas to operate the sails efficiently.
A aparelhagem do navio à vela exigia dezenas de roldanas para operar as velas eficientemente.
3. colloquially, something that rotates or spins repeatedly
The wheel keeps spinning like a roldana.
A roda continua girando como uma roldana.
Roldana is a technical term deeply rooted in Brazilian maritime and construction vocabulary. While 'polia' is the more scientific term, 'roldana' remains traditional in nautical contexts and among older craftspeople and sailors. The word reflects Brazil's strong maritime heritage and is commonly used in shipyards and traditional sailing communities.
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →