rock

SayROK/ɹɑk/UK/ɹɒk/

Pluralrocks (some meanings)

Verbrocks, rocking, rocked

34 meanings of rock

Practice

1
stone (material)noununcountable
The hard natural stuff that the ground and mountains are made of, or one kind of it.
The hill is made of solid rock under the thin soil.
Workers drilled through the rock to build the tunnel.
UsageFor the material, use no a: made of solid rock.
Similarstone
2
a stone (object)nouncountable or uncountable
A large stone or boulder, or in the US and Canada a small stone or pebble.
She could barely lift the big rock blocking the gate.
The boy skipped a flat rock across the pond.
Similarstone, boulder, pebble
Note
3
musicnoununcountable
A kind of popular music played mainly on electric guitars, bass and drums, with a strong beat and singing.
They listen to rock while driving to school.
Her older brother plays in a rock band.
UsageRock and roll usually means the older music of the 1950s.
Note
4
nouncountable or uncountable
A big piece of stone that sticks up out of the ground or the sea.
Like a giant stone tooth poking up out of the ground.
A huge rock jutted out of the sea near the harbor.
A lighthouse stands on a lonely rock off the coast.
UsageA ship on the rocks is stuck on rocks. A drink on the rocks is served over ice.
Similarcrag, outcrop
Note
5
move to and froverbtransitive or intransitive
To move from side to side or back and forth, or to make something do this.
Like a swing moving slowly back and forth.
Parents often rock their babies to calm them.
The little boat rocked on the calm water.
UsageSay rock the baby to sleep or rock back and forth.
Similarsway, swing, roll, toss, shake
Note
6
be greatverbslangintransitive
To be really great or to do really well.
Thanks for fixing my bike. You rock!
This song really rocks.
UsageSay the song rocks. The opposite is the song sucks.
Similarrule
Oppositesuck, stink
Note
7
wear wellverbcolloquialtransitive
To wear a piece of clothing or a look with great style.
She can rock a bright red dress like no one else.
You really rock those new sneakers.
UsageOften said as rocking something: he's rocking that hat.
Similarsport
Note
8
dependable personnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A person or thing that is strong and steady, and that you can always depend on.
Like a strong wall that holds steady no matter what pushes on it.
Her grandmother was the rock of the whole family.
Through every crisis, he stayed a rock for his friends.
UsagePeople often say my rock about someone they rely on.
Similarpillar, mainstay, anchor, backbone
Note
9
affect deeplyverbtransitive
To shock or upset someone, or to affect their feelings very strongly.
Like a big wave that hits you and knocks you off balance.
Songs like that can rock you to your core.
The sudden news of his death rocked the whole family.
UsageNews often says a place was rocked by bad news.
Similarshake, stun, shock, stagger, move
Note
10
play musicverbintransitive
To play, perform, or enjoy rock music with skill and energy.
The band really knows how to rock.
Those guitarists rock harder than anyone at the festival.
11
do brilliantlyverbtransitive
To do something with great skill and confidence.
She really rocked her presentation today.
You can rock the audition if you practice enough.
Similarace, nail, smash
Oppositefail, flunk, bomb

Less common meanings

12
ice cubenouncountable or uncountable
A piece or cube of ice, often put in a drink.
He ordered a whiskey on the rocks.
Dad likes his whiskey on the rocks, never straight.
UsageA drink on the rocks has ice in it.
Similarcube
Note
13
nouncountable
A gentle back-and-forth or side-to-side movement.
Like the gentle back-and-forth of a swing.
She calmed the baby with a slow rock of the cradle.
The boat gave a sudden rock and everyone grabbed the rails.
Similarsway, roll, swing, pitch
14
diamondnouncolloquialcountable or uncountable
A jewel, most often a diamond.
He finally bought her a rock for their engagement.
That ring has a huge rock on it.
UsageOften said about a big diamond: that rock on her finger.
Similardiamond, gem, jewel, stone, sparkler
Note
15
thrill a crowdverbtransitive
To fill a crowd or a place with excitement, especially with loud music.
The band rocked the crowd until well past midnight.
Loud guitars can rock a whole stadium.
Similarthrill, electrify, excite
16
fist (game)nouncountable or uncountable
In the hand game, a closed fist that beats scissors but loses to paper.
I threw rock and beat her scissors.
He always plays rock in the first round.
17
crack cocainenounslangUScountable or uncountable
A small, hard piece of crack cocaine.
Police caught him with three rocks of crack in his pocket.
He was arrested for selling rock on the corner.
Note
18
curling stonenouncountable or uncountable
In curling, the heavy round stone that players slide across the ice.
She slid the rock gently toward the center of the target.
His rock knocked the other team's stone out of play.
UsageRock and stone mean the same thing here.
Similarstone
Note
19
basketballnounslangUScountable or uncountable
The ball used to play basketball.
Pass me the rock, I'm wide open!
He grabbed the rock and drove straight to the basket.
UsageSay pass the rock.
Note
20
have sexverbslangeuphemistictransitive or intransitive
To have sex with someone.
Rock me gently, rock me slowly, take it easy, don't you know, that I have never been loved like this before.
1974, Andy Kim, “Rock Me Gently”Here, rock means to have sex with someone.
Try me out, and if you get excited Take me home, I'd love to be invited Once we're there, I'm sure you'll be delighted We could rock all night
1999, Harry Connick Jr., “Come By Me”Here, rock means to have sex.
Similarbang, screw, shag
Note
21
stick candynounBritishuncountable
A hard sugar candy made in a long stick, often with words running through the middle.
Like a stick of candy with a hidden word inside, the same all the way through.
We bought a stick of rock at the beach.
The pink rock had the town's name right through the center.
UsageSay a stick of rock for one piece.
Note
22
nounslangUS
A stupid person, especially one who keeps making the same mistakes.
23
nounslangUS
In baseball, a mistake or error made by a player.
Now, you should never make the last out of an inning at third, and when a player does it, everyone knows he pulled a rock.
2014, Joe Morgan, Richard LallyHere, rock means a mistake made by a baseball player.
24
nounslangSouth Africa
A rude name for an Afrikaner in South Africa.
25
nounslangUS
A careful poker player who only plays very good cards.
26
noun
The striped bass, a fish caught along North America's Atlantic coast.
27
noun
A small shark sold as food in Britain.
28
nouncolloquial
A cricket ball, mostly a new hard one.
29
noun
A quartz crystal that sets the exact channel a radio uses.
30
verb
Of dirt with gold in it, to be washed in a rocking box.
31
verb
To move your body back and forth again and again to calm yourself.
32
noun
A stick that holds wool or flax while you spin it into thread.
33
noun
The wool or flax wound on a spinning stick.
34
nounarchaic
An old way to spell roc, a giant bird in stories.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of rock apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–2, 4, 8, 12, 14, 16–19, 21

This word for stone came into English long ago. It came partly from Old English and partly from old French words that go back to a Latin word 'rocca', whose earlier origin is not certain.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The stone noun has an Old English source and therefore a long history in English. en.wiktionary.org
A French source also contributed to the English word and derives from Latin rocca. en.wiktionary.org
The earlier origin of Latin rocca is uncertain. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 5, 9, 13, 20

This 'to sway' word comes from Old English roccian, going back through old Germanic roots meaning to move or shift.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The verb rock meaning to sway comes from Old English roccian. en.wiktionary.org
Its Germanic ancestry includes a reconstructed verb meaning to move or move back and forth. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 3, 6–7, 10–11, 15

This is a short form of 'rock and roll'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

'Rock', meaning the music, is a short form of 'rock and roll'. en.wiktionary.org