Rock

1.
n.
1 a the hard material of the earth's crust, exposed on the surface or underlying the soil. b a similar material on other planets.
2 Geol. any natural material, hard or soft (e.g. clay), consisting of one or more minerals.
3 a a mass of rock projecting and forming a hill, cliff, reef, etc. b (the Rock) Gibraltar.
4 a large detached stone.
5 US a stone of any size.
6 a firm and dependable support or protection.
7 a source of danger or destruction.
8 Brit. a hard usu. cylindrical stick of confectionery made from sugar with flavouring esp. of peppermint.
9 (in pl.) US sl. money.
10 sl. a precious stone, esp. a diamond.
11 sl. a solid form of cocaine.
12 (in pl.) coarse sl. the testicles.
Phrases and idioms:
get one's rocks off coarse sl.
1 achieve sexual satisfaction.
2 obtain enjoyment.
on the rocks colloq.
1 short of money.
2 broken down.
3 (of a drink) served undiluted with ice-cubes. rock-bed a base of rock or a rocky bottom. rock-bottom adj. (of prices etc.) the very lowest.
—n. the very lowest level. rock-bound (of a coast) rocky and inaccessible. rock-cake a small currant cake with a hard rough surface. rock-candy US = sense 8 of n. rock cress = ARABIS. rock-crystal transparent colourless quartz usu. in hexagonal prisms. rock-dove a wild dove, Columba livia, frequenting rocks, supposed ancestor of the domestic pigeon. rock-face a vertical surface of natural rock. rock-fish a rock-frequenting goby, bass, wrasse, catfish, etc. rock-garden an artifical mound or bank of earth and stones planted with rock-plants etc.; a garden in which rockeries are the chief feature. rock-pigeon = rock-dove. rock-pipit a species of pipit, Anthus spinoletta, frequenting rocky shores. rock-plant any plant growing on or among rocks. rock python any large snake of the family Boidae, esp. the African python Python sebae. rock-rabbit any of several species of hyrax. rock rose any plant of the genus Cistus, Helianthemum, etc., with rose-like flowers. rock-salmon
1 any of several fishes, esp. Brit. (as a commercial name) the catfish and dogfish.
2 US an amberjack. rock-salt common salt as a solid mineral. rock-wool inorganic material made into matted fibre esp. for insulation or soundproofing.
Derivatives:
rockless adj. rocklet n. rocklike adj.
Etymology: ME f. OF ro(c)que, roche, med.L rocca, of unkn. orig.
2.
v. & n.
—v.
1 tr. move gently to and fro in or as if in a cradle; set or maintain such motion (rock him to sleep; the ship was rocked by the waves).
2 intr. be or continue in such motion (sat rocking in his chair; the ship was rocking on the waves).
3 a intr. sway from side to side; shake, oscillate, reel (the house rocks). b tr. cause to do this (an earthquake rocked the house).
4 tr. distress, perturb.
5 intr. dance to or play rock music.
—n.
1 a rocking movement (gave the chair a rock).
2 a spell of rocking (had a rock in his chair).
3 a = rock and roll. b any of a variety of types of modern popular music with a rocking or swinging beat, derived from rock and roll.
Phrases and idioms:
rock and (or rock 'n') roll a type of popular dance-music originating in the 1950s, characterized by a heavy beat and simple melodies, often with a blues element. rock and (or rock 'n') roller a devotee of rock and roll. rock the boat colloq. disturb the equilibrium of a situation. rocking-chair a chair mounted on rockers or springs for gently rocking in. rocking-horse a model of a horse on rockers or springs for a child to rock on. rocking-stone a poised boulder easily rocked. rock-shaft a shaft that oscillates about an axis without making complete revolutions.
Etymology: OE roccian, prob. f. Gmc