Rock Definition

rŏk
rocked, rocking, rocks
noun
rocks
Relatively hard, naturally formed mineral or petrified matter; stone.
American Heritage
A large mass of stone forming a peak or cliff.
Webster's New World
A large stone detached from the mass; boulder.
Webster's New World
Broken pieces of any size of such stone.
Webster's New World
Any stone, large or small.
Webster's New World
verb
rocked, rocking, rocks
To move or sway back and forth or from side to side, as a cradle.
Webster's New World
To move or sway strongly; shake; vibrate.
Webster's New World
To bring into a specified condition by moving or swaying in this way.
To rock a baby to sleep.
Webster's New World
To be rocked, as ore.
Webster's New World
To be washed and panned in a cradle or in a rocker. Used of ores.
American Heritage
Antonyms:
pronoun

A topographic surname for someone living near a rock or an oak (atter + oke).

Wiktionary
A male given name transferred from the surname.
Wiktionary

(preceded by "the" or "The") Nickname of Gibraltar.

Wiktionary

(preceded by "the" or "The") Nickname of the prison on Alcatraz Island, USA.

Wiktionary

(Canada, preceded by "the" or "The") Nickname of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Wiktionary
idiom
between a rock and a hard place
  • Confronted with equally unpleasant alternatives and few or no opportunities to evade or circumvent them.
American Heritage
on the rocks
  • In a state of difficulty, destruction, or ruin:

    Their marriage is on the rocks.

  • Without money; bankrupt:

    Our accountant says the business is on the rocks.

American Heritage
rock the boat
  • To disturb the balance or routine of a situation:

    He has an easygoing managerial style and won't rock the boat unless absolutely necessary.

American Heritage
between a rock and a hard place
  • in a predicament; specif., faced with equally unpleasant alternatives
Webster's New World
get one's rocks off
  • to experience orgasm; ejaculate
  • to feel any great or satisfying pleasure or excitement
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Rock

Noun

Singular:
rock
Plural:
rocks

Origin of Rock

  • From Middle English rocke, rokke (“rock formation"), from Old English *rocc (“rock"), as in Old English stānrocc (“high stone rock, peak, obelisk"), and also later from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French roc, roce, roque (compare Modern French roche, from Old French), from Medieval Latin rocca (attested 767), from Vulgar Latin *rocca, of uncertain origin, sometimes said to be of Celtic (Gaulish) origin (compare Breton roch).

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English rokken, from Old English roccian, from Proto-Germanic *rukkōnÄ… (compare obsolete Dutch (Holland) rokken, Middle High German rocken "˜to drag, jerk', Icelandic rukka "˜to yank'), from *rugnōnÄ…, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ruk-néhâ‚‚-, from *h₃runk- (compare Latin runcāre (“to weed"), Latvian rÅ©Ä·Ä“t (“to toss, dig")).

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English rok, rocke , rokke, perhaps from Middle Dutch rocke (whence Dutch rok), Middle Low German rocken, or Old Norse rokkr (whence Icelandic / Faroese rokkur, Danish rok, Swedish spinnrock (“spinning wheel")). Cognate with Old High German rocko (“distaff").

    From Wiktionary

  • Shortened from rock and roll. Since the meaning of rock has adapted to mean a simpler, more modern, metal-like genre, rock and roll has generally been left referring to earlier forms such as that of the 1950s, notably more swing-oriented style.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English from Old North French roque from Vulgar Latin rocca

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English rokken from Old English roccian

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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