rock

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɹɒk/ (General American) enPR: rŏk, IPA(key): /ɹɑk/ (Australian) IPA(key): /ɹɔk/ Homophones: roc, rawk Rhymes: -ɒk === Etymology 1 === Inherited 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 roque, (compare Modern French roc, roche, rocher), from Medieval Latin rocca (attested 767), of uncertain origin, sometimes said to be of Celtic (in particular, perhaps Gaulish) origin (compare Breton roc'h). Related also to Middle Low German rocke (“rock ledge”). One suggestion is that it derives from Vulgar Latin *rupica, from rupes (compare rupico). ==== Noun ==== rock (countable and uncountable, plural rocks) A formation of minerals, specifically: (uncountable) The naturally occurring aggregate of solid mineral matter that constitutes a significant part of the earth's crust. Synonym: stone A mass of stone projecting out of the ground or water. (chiefly UK, Ireland) A boulder or large stone; or (US, Canada) a smaller stone; a pebble. (geology) Any natural material with a distinctive composition of minerals. (colloquial) A precious stone or gem, especially a diamond. A large hill or island having no vegetation. (figuratively) Something that is strong, stable, and dependable; a person who provides security or support to another. 1991, Robert Harling and Andrew Bergman, Soapdish, Paramount Pictures, Celeste Talbert: She is my rock, my right hand. A lump or cube of ice. (UK, uncountable) A type of confectionery made from sugar in the shape of a stick, traditionally having some text running through its length. (US, slang) A crystallized lump of crack cocaine. Synonyms: crack rock, candy (US, slang) An unintelligent person, especially one who repeats mistakes. (South Africa, slang, derogatory) An Afrikaner. (US poker slang) An extremely conservative player who is willing to play only the very strongest hands. Any of several fish: The striped bass. The huss or rock salmon. (US, basketball, slang) A basketball. (US, baseball, slang) A mistake. (curling) Synonym of stone. (rock paper scissors) A closed hand (a handshape resembling a rock), that beats scissors and loses to paper. It beats lizard and loses to Spock in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock. (informal, cricket) A cricket ball, especially a new one that has not been softened by use (CB radio slang) A crystal used to control the radio frequency. ===== Synonyms ===== (natural mineral aggregate): stone (projecting mass of rock): cliff (boulder or large stone): boulder, pebble, stone (something strong, stable, and dependable): foundation, support (precious stone or gem): gem, diamond (lump of ice): ice, ice cube (crystallized lump of crack cocaine): crack bedrock ===== Hyponyms ===== (geology): country rock ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== rock (third-person singular simple present rocks, present participle rocking, simple past and past participle rocked) To pelt with rocks; to stone. ==== References ==== === Etymology 2 === Inherited from Middle English rokken, from Old English roccian, from Proto-West Germanic *rokkōn, from Proto-Germanic *rukkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₃ruknéh₂ti, from *h₃rewk-, *h₃runk-. See also obsolete Dutch rokken, Middle High German rocken (“to drag, jerk”), Modern German rücken (“to move, shift”), Icelandic rukka (“to yank”); also Latin runcāre (“to weed”), Latvian rũķēt (“to toss, dig”). ==== Verb ==== rock (third-person singular simple present rocks, present participle rocking, simple past and past participle rocked) (transitive and intransitive) To move gently back and forth. (intransitive) To sway one's body as a stim. (transitive) To cause to shake or sway violently. (intransitive) To sway or tilt violently back and forth. (transitive and intransitive, of ore etc.) To be washed and panned in a cradle or in a rocker. (transitive) To disturb the emotional equilibrium of; to distress; to greatly impact (most often positively). (intransitive) To do well or to be operating at high efficiency. (intransitive, slang) To be very favourable or skilful; excel; be fantastic. Synonyms: bang, rule; see also Thesaurus:excel Antonyms: stink, suck (slang, ambitransitive, euphemistic) To make love to or have sex (with). ===== Synonyms ===== (move gently back and forth): waver; see also Thesaurus:sway (cause to shake violently): agitate, trouble (sway violently back and forth): judder; see also Thesaurus:shake (do well): cook with gas, flourish (be good): rules (have sex with): go to bed with, hit, sleep with; see also Thesaurus:copulate with ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== rock (plural rocks) An act of rocking; a rocking motion; a sway. ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 3 === 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 originating in the 1950s, notably more swing-oriented style. ==== Noun ==== rock (uncountable) (music) A style of music characterized by basic drum-beat, generally 4/4 riffs, based on (usually electric) guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards (often), and vocals. ===== Hyponyms ===== ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== rock (third-person singular simple present rocks, present participle rocking, simple past and past participle rocked) (intransitive) To play, perform, or enjoy rock music, especially with a lot of skill or energy. (transitive) To thrill or excite, especially with rock music. (intransitive) To have people dancing and enjoying rock music. (transitive) To do something with excitement yet skillfully. (transitive) To wear (a piece of clothing, outfit etc.) successfully or with style; to carry off (a particular look, style). Synonym: sport ===== Related terms ===== ready to rock rock and roll ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 4 === From Middle English rok, rocke, rokke, perhaps from Middle Dutch rocke (whence Dutch rokken), 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”). ==== Noun ==== rock (countable and uncountable, plural rocks) (countable) Distaff. (uncountable) The flax or wool on a distaff. ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 5 === ==== Noun ==== rock (plural rocks) Archaic form of roc (mythical bird). === Anagrams === Cork, Kroc, cork == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from English rock. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern) [ˈro̞k] IPA(key): (Balearic, Central, Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈrɔk] === Noun === rock m (uncountable) rock, rock music === Further reading === “rock”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “rock”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “rock” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. == Czech == === Etymology === Borrowed from English rock. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈrok] === Noun === rock m inan rock (style of music) ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== == Dutch == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English rock. Doublet of rots. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /rɔk/ Rhymes: -ɔk === Noun === rock m (uncountable, no diminutive) rock (style of music) ==== Derived terms ==== == Finnish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English rock. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈrok/, [ˈro̞k] Rhymes: -ok Syllabification(key): rock Hyphenation(key): rock === Noun === rock rock (style of music) ==== Declension ==== ==== Synonyms ==== rock-musiikki rokki ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “rock”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎[11] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023 == French == === Etymology === Borrowed from English rock. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ʁɔk/ === Noun === rock m (uncountable) rock (style of music) ==== Derived terms ==== rockeur m (noun) / rockeuse f (noun) rocker (verb) === Further reading === “rock”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Hungarian == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English rock. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈrokː] Hyphenation: rock === Noun === rock (plural rockok) (music) rock (style of music) Synonym: rockzene ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== rockos ==== Related terms ==== == Italian == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English rock. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈrɔk/ Rhymes: -ɔk Hyphenation: ròck === Noun === rock m (uncountable) rock (style of music) === Further reading === rock in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana == Polish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English rock. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈrɔk/ Rhymes: -ɔk Syllabification: rock Homophones: rok, Rok === Noun === rock m inan (related adjective rockowy) rock (style of music) ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “rock”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎[12] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN “rock”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[13] (in Polish) == Portuguese == === Alternative forms === roque === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English rock. === Pronunciation === Rhymes: (Brazil) -ɔki, (Portugal) -ɔk === Noun === rock m (uncountable) rock (style of music) Synonym: rock and roll ==== Derived terms ==== === Further reading === “rock”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “rock”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English rock. === Noun === rock n (plural rockuri) rock ==== Declension ==== == Spanish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English rock. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈrok/ [ˈrok] Rhymes: -ok Syllabification: rock === Noun === rock m (plural rocks) rock (music style) ==== Usage notes ==== According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed. ==== Derived terms ==== roquero m, roquera f rockero m, rockera f rockear rockódromo m rock pesado ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “rock”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Swedish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /¹rɔk/, [¹rɔkː] Rhymes: -ɔk === Etymology 1 === From Old Swedish rokker, from Middle Low German rock, from Old Saxon rok, from Proto-West Germanic *(h)rokk, from Proto-Germanic *rukkaz. ==== Noun ==== rock c a coat, an overcoat ===== Declension ===== ===== Synonyms ===== kappa päls trenchcoat ulster ===== Related terms ===== === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from English rock. ==== Noun ==== rock c (uncountable) (music, uncountable) rock, rock and roll ===== Declension ===== ===== Derived terms ===== könsrock punkrock rockband rockmusik rockring ===== See also ===== rock'n'roll === References === “rock”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish) “rock”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish) “rock”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish) rock in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)