# rock

Pronunciation: say "ROK" US /ɹɑk/, UK /ɹɒk/

## Noun

1. The hard natural mineral material that makes up much of the earth's crust; also, a particular kind of it, such as granite.
   - Simple: The hard natural stuff that the ground and mountains are made of, or one kind of it.
   - _The cliff face exposes layers of rock laid down over millions of years._
   - _Molten material cools to form new rock along the ocean floor._
2. A boulder or large stone; in the US and Canada, also a smaller stone or pebble.
   - Simple: A large stone or boulder, or in the US and Canada a small stone or pebble.
   - _A loose rock the size of a car had tumbled onto the road._
   - _He tossed a small rock into the stream and watched the ripples._
3. A style of popular music built on a steady drumbeat and guitar riffs, usually featuring electric guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals.
   - Simple: A kind of popular music played mainly on electric guitars, bass and drums, with a strong beat and singing.
   - _By the 1970s, rock had become the dominant sound on radio._
   - _The festival mixes folk, jazz, and hard rock across three stages._
4. A large mass of stone rising from the ground or the sea, including a small bare island.
   - Simple: A big piece of stone that sticks up out of the ground or the sea.
   - _A jagged rock rose from the shallows where the river bent sharply._
   - _Sailors warned each other about the rock that broke the surface at low tide._
8. A strong, stable, dependable person or thing; someone who provides security or support to another.
   - Simple: A person or thing that is strong and steady, and that you can always depend on.
   - _During the long illness, she became the rock everyone leaned on._
   - _A good coach is the rock a struggling team builds itself around._
12. A lump or cube of frozen water.
   - Simple: A piece or cube of ice, often put in a drink.
   - _The bartender dropped a single rock into the tumbler of whiskey._
   - _She ordered a gin and tonic on the rocks._
13. A swaying movement back and forth or from side to side.
   - Simple: A gentle back-and-forth or side-to-side movement.
   - _A gentle rock of the hammock soon lulled him to sleep._
   - _The ship's slow rock left several passengers feeling queasy._
14. A gem or precious stone, especially a diamond. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A jewel, most often a diamond.
   - _She flashed the rock on her finger for everyone to admire._
   - _The jeweler showed him a flawless rock worth a small fortune._
16. A closed-fist handshape in rock-paper-scissors that beats scissors and loses to paper.
   - Simple: In the hand game, a closed fist that beats scissors but loses to paper.
   - _She opened with rock and lost to his paper._
   - _Choosing rock every single time makes you easy to predict._
17. A hardened, crystallized lump of crack cocaine. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: A small, hard piece of crack cocaine.
   - _The dealer slipped a rock into the buyer's palm._
   - _Officers recovered several rocks during the raid on the apartment._
18. The heavy polished granite stone slid down the ice in the sport of curling.
   - Simple: In curling, the heavy round stone that players slide across the ice.
   - _The skip called for a softer throw, and the rock stopped just short of the house._
   - _Two sweepers guided the rock across the pebbled ice._
19. The inflated ball used in playing basketball. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: The ball used to play basketball.
   - _She caught the rock at the top of the key and pulled up for a shot._
   - _Give him the rock when he's open under the basket._
21. A hard sugar confection shaped like a stick, traditionally with lettering running through its full length. *(British)*
   - Simple: A hard sugar candy made in a long stick, often with words running through the middle.
   - _Holidaymakers returned from Blackpool clutching sticks of rock for the kids._
   - _She bit into the rock and read the letters set inside it._

## Verb

5. To move, or make something move, back and forth or from side to side, gently or violently.
   - Simple: To move from side to side or back and forth, or to make something do this.
   - _Boats rock softly when the wake reaches the dock._
   - _She rocked the hammock back and forth to soothe the child._
6. To be excellent or to perform extremely well. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To be really great or to do really well.
   - _The diner looks run-down from the outside, but its pancakes really do rock._
   - _The new album absolutely rocks from start to finish._
7. To wear an outfit or carry off a particular look with confidence and style. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To wear a piece of clothing or a look with great style.
   - _He rocks a tailored suit better than most models._
   - _Few people can rock such a bold haircut and make it look effortless._
9. To shock, upset, or strongly affect someone emotionally.
   - Simple: To shock or upset someone, or to affect their feelings very strongly.
   - _The unexpected news rocked the entire community._
   - _News of the factory closure would rock the small town for months._
10. To make or enjoy rock music, often with notable energy or skill.
   - Simple: To play, perform, or enjoy rock music with skill and energy.
   - _When the crowd showed up, the musicians began to rock._
   - _Few cover bands rock the way the originals did._
11. To do something with both flair and skill, carrying it off impressively.
   - Simple: To do something with great skill and confidence.
   - _He rocked the job interview and walked out with an offer._
   - _She can rock a tough exam without even studying._
15. To thrill or excite a crowd or place, especially with loud, energetic music.
   - Simple: To fill a crowd or a place with excitement, especially with loud music.
   - _The headliners rocked the festival with a blistering two-hour set._
   - _A single great riff can rock an entire arena._
20. To have sex with or make love to someone. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To have sex with someone.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A dull or unintelligent person, especially one who repeats the same mistakes.
- (noun) An error or mistake, especially one made by a player in baseball.
- (noun) A disparaging South African term for an Afrikaner.
- (noun) A very cautious poker player who bets only when holding the best cards.
- (noun) Another name for the striped bass, a food and sport fish of the North American Atlantic coast.
- (noun) A small shark, the dogfish, sold as food under the names huss or rock salmon.
- (noun) The ball in cricket, particularly a fresh, hard one not yet worn soft by play.
- (noun) A quartz crystal that fixes the frequency of a radio transmitter or receiver.
- (verb) Of gold-bearing earth, to be rocked and rinsed in a cradle so that the gold separates out.
- (verb) To move the body back and forth as a repetitive, self-soothing behavior, as some autistic people do.
- (noun) A distaff, the stick that holds wool or flax ready for spinning.
- (noun) The bundle of fiber wound on a distaff, ready to be spun.
- (noun) An old spelling of roc, the huge bird of legend.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–2, 4, 8, 12, 14, 16–19, 21** — From Old English *rocc (seen in stānrocc, 'high stone peak'), later reinforced by Anglo-Norman roque, from Medieval Latin rocca (recorded in 767). The origin of rocca is uncertain, possibly Celtic.
**Meanings 5, 9, 13, 20** — Old English roccian became Middle English rokken, from which the verb 'to rock' was inherited. Before that it goes back to Proto-West Germanic *rokkōn and Proto-Germanic *rukkōną, possibly in the end to Proto-Indo-European *h₃rewk-. Compare Modern German rücken ('to move, shift').
**Meanings 3, 6–7, 10–11, 15** — Shortened from rock and roll. As 'rock' came to cover a wider range of styles, 'rock and roll' has often been used to refer to earlier 1950s forms, notably the more swing-oriented style.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/rock (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).