Definition
A small triangular or arrow-shaped indicator on the attitude indicator that moves along a fixed scale at the top of the instrument to show the aircraft's bank angle in degrees left or right of wings-level.
Plain English
It's the little pointer at the top of the artificial horizon that tells you how steeply the aircraft is banked left or right.
Context Anchor
Seen during instrument flying on the attitude display, especially while checking and correcting bank in the instrument scan.
Derivation
Roll comes from the idea of something turning over. In aviation, roll means the airplane rotating around its nose-to-tail line. Pointer means a marker that points to a reading, so roll pointer means the marker that shows that left-or-right tilt.
Why Pilots Care
Allows precise bank control and coordination without visual reference to the ground.
Intuition Check
Do not read roll here as forward rolling movement on wheels. In this context, roll means the airplane tilting left or right in flight.
Example Sentence 1
Entering the turn, she watched the roll pointer move to the 30-degree mark and held it there.
Example Sentence 2
With the roll pointer centered, the pilot confirmed wings-level flight in the clouds.