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1957, Alfred Maund, The Big Boxcar, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, →ISBN, page 106:
In his half hour of free time between brooms it was Willie's custom to smoke his lunch in an alleyway. He'd take just half a roach, only enough to make him feel a new day was starting, no more no less.
Apparently from extended or figurative use of roach(“Cyprinidae”), above. Compare the adjective roached(“styled so that the mane stands up from the neck”).
(nautical) 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.
1749, Rog. Mostyn, “Mineralogy”, in Philosophical Transactions and Collections to the End of the Year, volume II, London: Royal Society, →OCLC, page 379:
After long Working of this Coal, it was found upon the rising Grounds, that there lay another Roach of Coal, at the Depth of 14 Yards under it