a large mass of stone forming a hill, cliff, promontory, or the like.
Geology.
mineral matter of variable composition, consolidated or unconsolidated, assembled in masses or considerable quantities in nature, as by the action of heat or water.
a particular kind of such matter: igneous rock.
stone in the mass: buildings that stand upon rock.
a stone of any size.
something resembling or suggesting a rock.
a firm foundation or support: The Lord is my rock.
Chiefly British. a kind of hard candy, variously flavored.
rock candy.
Often rocks .Slang.
a piece of money.
a dollar bill.
Slang.
a diamond.
any gem.
Slang.
crack (def. 33).
a pellet or lump of crack.
Idioms for rock
between a rock and a hard place, between undesirable alternatives.
get one's rocks off, Slang: Vulgar. to have an orgasm.
on the rocks,
Informal.in or into a state of disaster or ruin: Their marriage is on the rocks.
Informal.without funds; destitute; bankrupt.
(of a beverage, especially liquor or a cocktail) with, or containing, ice cubes: Scotch on the rocks; a vodka martini on the rocks.
Origin of rock
1
First recorded in 1300–50; 1905–10 for def. 10; Middle English rokk(ke). from Old French ro(c)que, roche; compare Spanish, Provençal roca, Italian rocca, Medieval Latin rocha, rocca (becoming late Old English -rocc in stānrocc “stone-rock, obelisk”); cf. roche alum
OTHER WORDS FROM rock
rockless,adjectiverocklike,adjective
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH rock
boulder, cobblestone, granule, pebble, rock , stone
to be moved or swayed powerfully with excitement, emotion, etc.
Mining. (of sand or gravel) to be washed in a cradle.
to dance to or play rock music.
(of popular music) to have the driving beat characteristic of rock.
Slang. to be very good, impressive, exciting, or effective: This show really rocks.
verb (used with object)
to move or sway to and fro or from side to side, especially gently and soothingly: Oh, look! Her big brother is rocking the baby to sleep.
to lull in security, hope, etc.
to affect deeply; move or sway powerfully, as with emotion;stun: Everyone in the courtroom was rocked by the verdict.
to shake or disturb violently: A thunderous explosion rocked the waterfront.
Slang.
to stir up; animate: We're gonna rock this joint tonight!
to use, wear, or display in a showy, self-confident manner or to great effect: Only you could rock that hat!The game rocks some amazing new features.
Graphic Arts. to roughen the surface of (a copperplate) with a rocker preparatory to scraping a mezzotint.
Mining. cradle (def. 22).
noun
a rocking movement: the gentle rock of the boat.
rock-'n'-roll (def. 1).
adjective
rock-'n'-roll (def. 2).
Origin of rock
2
First recorded in 1100–50; Middle English rokken, rocken, rocke(n) “to rock (a cradle),”Old English roccian; cognate with Middle Dutch rocken “to stir, make move,” German rücken “to move, shift,” Old Norse rykkja “to jerk, pull”
In an earlier experiment, I showed that sugar seed crystals are important for making rock candy.
Build ice towers with bottled water and ice|Bethany Brookshire|September 16, 2020|Science News For Students
She was confident, she was outspoken, she was kind of the queen of the underground New York rock music scene.
Inside ‘I Am Woman’: A new biopic tells the story of Helen Reddy and her famous song|radmarya|September 10, 2020|Fortune
Those wingbeats also caused bodies of the tiny, coiled shell species and the midsize, long shell snails to rock back and forth as they swam.
Sea butterflies’ shells determine how the snails swim|Maria Temming|September 8, 2020|Science News
They are very similar to the rocks that may have formed our planet billions of years ago.
Scientists Say: Asteroid, meteor and meteorite|Bethany Brookshire|September 7, 2020|Science News For Students
This 14-inch rocking pizza cutter will give you restaurant quality cut slices.
Pizza cutters that will get you the slice of your dreams|PopSci Commerce Team|September 2, 2020|Popular Science
My ball bounced back and the rock rolled just a little bit forward.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In previous decades, hip-hop was something typically preached against, much like rock & roll and heavy metal before it.
Down With the King: Christianity Isn’t Hiding in Rap’s Closet|Stereo Williams|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After signing on to the film, Moore enlisted the services of her 30 Rock costar Alec Baldwin to play her caring husband.
Julianne Moore Is Oscar Gold in ‘Still Alice’|Marlow Stern|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But, strange to say, Cocker never got inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Greatest Rock Voice of All Time Belonged to Joe Cocker|Ted Gioia|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Cocker, by contrast, was always a rock singer, without frills or apologies.
The Greatest Rock Voice of All Time Belonged to Joe Cocker|Ted Gioia|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And there is the cave under the rock where Moses dwelt, when he fasted forty days and forty nights.
The Travels of Sir John Mandeville|John Mandeville
The slow spin of our rock had now brought the Dippers into view.
Industrial Revolution|Poul William Anderson
Carefully, silently, the chief crawled down from the rock, which immediately became again a small stone.
Basutoland|Minnie Martin
Beside it, a tall needle of rock, serrated and sharp, shot up.
My New Curate|P.A. Sheehan
The fence begins to melt as if in a haze and the logic of clearing this vast expanse of earth and rock escapes him.
The Land of Look Behind|Paul Cameron Brown
British Dictionary definitions for rock (1 of 3)
rock1
/ (rɒk) /
noun
geologyany aggregate of minerals that makes up part of the earth's crust. It may be unconsolidated, such as a sand, clay, or mud, or consolidated, such as granite, limestone, or coalSee also igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic
any hard mass of consolidated mineral matter, such as a boulder
mainlyUS, Canadian and Australiana stone
a person or thing suggesting a rock, esp in being dependable, unchanging, or providing firm foundation
Britisha hard sweet, typically a long brightly-coloured peppermint-flavoured stick, sold esp in holiday resorts
slanga jewel, esp a diamond
short for rock salmon
(plural)slangthe testicles
slang another name for crack (def. 29)
between a rock and a hard placehaving to choose between two equally unpleasant alternatives
on the rocks
in a state of ruin or destitution
(of drinks, esp whisky) served with ice
Word Origin for rock
C14: from Old French roche, of unknown origin
British Dictionary definitions for rock (2 of 3)
rock2
/ (rɒk) /
verb
to move or cause to move from side to side or backwards and forwards
to reel or sway or cause (someone) to reel or sway, as with a violent shock or emotion
(tr)to shake or move (something) violently
(intr)to dance in the rock-and-roll style
miningto wash (ore) or (of ore) to be washed in a cradle
(tr)to roughen (a copper plate) with a rocker before engraving a mezzotint
(tr)slang, mainlyUSto impress by wearing (an item of clothing) or playing (a musical instrument)She can still rock a miniskirt; He rocks a guitar like nobody’s business
rock the boatinformalto create a disturbance in the existing situation
noun
a rocking motion
short for rock and roll
Also called: rock musicany of various styles of pop music having a heavy beat, derived from rock and roll
See also rock up
Word Origin for rock
Old English roccian; related to Middle Dutch, Old High German rocken, German rücken
A relatively hard, naturally occurring mineral material. Rock can consist of a single mineral or of several minerals that are either tightly compacted or held together by a cementlike mineral matrix. The three main types of rock are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.