Roster

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɒs.tə/

Definitions

1. A compilation that outlines individuals designated for specific roles within a team or organization serves as a management tool for identifying members and their assignments
2. A detailed enumeration of individuals scheduled for particular tasks or roles within a group
3. An official record displaying names of members allocated to various positions or functions

Etymology: The word "roster" started out as a piece of kitchen equipment. In Dutch, "rooster" meant a gridiron, the metal grill set over a fire for cooking, and it also came to mean a table or a list. That Dutch noun comes from "roosten," meaning "to roast," so the same grill that once held meat over the flames gave its name to the list of names that now organises a team. English borrowed the word from Dutch, and the link to the grill is easy to trace. A grid of bars can be imagined as a set of lines, and a written list laid out in rows and columns resembles that pattern. From there, "roster" came to mean a schedule of people assigned to duties, such as a rota of players or a roll of officers on watch.

Synonyms: list, register, roll, schedule, inventory

Antonyms: disarray, chaos, disorganization, scatter, absence