ROCK


Meaning of ROCK in English

I. ˈräk verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English rokken, from Old English roccian; akin to Old High German rucken to cause to move, shift, Old Norse rykkja to jerk

transitive verb

1.

a. : to move (as a child) back and forth in or as if in a cradle

b. : to bring into or maintain in a state of rest, sleep, or serenity by gentle motion to and fro

rocking the child on her breast

c. : to wash (placer gravel) in a cradle

d. : to prepare the surface of (a mezzotint plate) by the use of a cradle

2.

a. : to cause (as a cradle) to sway gently backward and forward

a warning sea bell rocked by rising waves — J.C.Powys

the languid spring breeze rocked the little green bombshells of maple sprays — New Republic

b.

(1) : to cause to shake violently

when artillery maneuvers are held … the quiet countryside is shattered and rocked by the roaring thunder of the big guns — American Guide Series: Vermont

she began to cry, great sobs that rocked her — Robert Lowry

(2) : to daze with a vigorous blow

three smashing right crosses that rocked him — Nat Fleischer

(3) : to astonish or disturb especially by upsetting cherished opinions or customary ways of life

rocking the solid beliefs they had never dreamed of questioning — Virginia D. Dawson & Betty D. Wilson

the news of the coming degree had rocked the household with surprise — Agnes S. Turnbull

c.

(1) : to dislodge (something stuck or wedged) by rhythmic back and forth movement

set up on your towline and we'll rock her out of here — K.M.Dodson

(2) : to move clumsily first from one side and then from the other

rocked his shoulders up the stairs — Scott Fitzgerald

rocked the box across the platform

(3) : to move (airplane wings) up and down usually as a signal

rocked my wings to let the landing signal officer know that I needed to land at once — D.A.Bryla

d. : to move (a vehicle or animal) at a steady fairly rapid pace

rocking my mule right along but riding him as easy as I could — Jackson Burgess

intransitive verb

1.

a. : to move violently backward and forward under impact : reel , totter

the tower rocked under the impact of the hurricane

b.

(1) : to move gently and rhythmically back and forth

rocking on the balls of his feet — Richard Llewellyn

the speedometer was rocking between sixty and sixty-five — Charley Robertson

a low, steady breeze drove the little waves rocking to the shore — John Burroughs

(2) : to sit and move back and forth in a rocking chair

rocked all day on her veranda — Laura Krey

c. : to sway gently under outside impact

boats rocking on the yellow river — W.G.Hardy

2.

a. : to react with intense emotion

the continent rocked with surprise — Woman

the audience was rocking with laughter — H.J.Laski

b. : to seem to sway as if in response to human illness or emotion

felt a blow against the back of his head, saw the walls of the house rocking in sick blackness, and slid out on the hot steps — Josephine Johnson

the room with its portions of shells rocked more frequently with laughter than with explosives — New York Times Book Review

3.

a. : to move forward at a steady rhythmic pace

the chuffing doubleheaders of the narrow-gage rocked cautiously along the tracks — Helen Rich

b. : to move forward at high speeds

rocked around town at furious speeds — R.L.Taylor

4. : to sing, play music, or dance in a quick lively tempo

Synonyms: see shake

- rock the boat

II. noun

( -s )

: a rocking movement ; specifically : a change of balance in a step dance from one foot to the other with feet crossed

III. noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English roc, rokke, from Middle Dutch rocke; akin to Old High German rocko distaff, Old Norse rokkr distaff, Old High German roc coat — more at frock

1. : distaff ; especially : one with wool or flax on it

2. : the wool or flax on a distaff

IV. noun

( -s )

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English rokke, from Old North French roque, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin rocca, probably of non-Indo-European origin

1.

a. : a usually bare cliff, promontory, peak, or hill that is one mass

the rock of Gibraltar

b. : a mass of stone lying at or near the surface of the water

scattered rocks with 3 3/4-6 fathoms … of water over them — U.S. Coast Pilot: West Indies

a reef, with four rocks showing above water — U.S. Coast Pilot: West Indies

c. : a barren islet

d. : a jagged rocky coastline especially when a source of danger to shipping — often used in plural

the schooner was driven onto the rocks

2.

a. : extremely hard dense stone

hewn out of adamant rock — Edmund Spenser

b.

(1) : a large concreted mass of stony material : a large fixed stone

(2) : stony material broken from such a mass

c.

(1) : consolidated or unconsolidated solid mineral matter composed of one or usually two or more minerals or partly of organic origin (as coal) that occurs naturally in large quantities or forms a considerable part of the earth's crust

granite, sand, gravel, clay, and glacial ice are rocks

(2) : a particular mass or kind of such material within the earth's surface

(3) : an often jagged fragment of rock ranging in size from a boulder to a pebble

chunkin' rocks at my granddaddy — Stetson Kennedy

(4) : ore as mined ; especially : Lake Superior copper ore

3.

a.

(1) : something that resembles a rock in firmness : foundation , support

the concept of a law that is independent of any sovereign, which cannot be repealed … is the rock on which our society rests — Herbert Agar

(2) : something that serves as a defense or refuge

the Lord is my rock , and my fortress — 2 Sam 22:2 (Revised Standard Version)

(3) : something that threatens or causes a disaster or wreck — often used in plural

the university, so near the rocks in preceding years, had become one of the best-rounded educational institutions in the country — Current Biography

our political parties must never flounder on the rocks of moral equivocation — A.E.Stevenson †1965

b. : a small island that is a place of confinement or of dangerous or monotonous duty

three divisions of Marines … on the hottest rock of them all — L.M.Uris

4. : striped bass a

5.

a.

(1) : a hard stick candy with color running through and variously flavored (as with peppermint, clove, or anise)

(2) : rock candy 1

b. or rock cake : a cookie that is made of firm dough dropped from a spoon to a cookie sheet and that when baked retains an uneven form and contour

6.

a. : a piece of money ; especially : a dollar bill

b. rocks plural : money

a pocket full of rocks

7. : plymouth rock

8. slang

a. : gem

b. : diamond

9. : a mass consisting of lime soap obtained in a process for saponifying fats by heating them with lime and water under pressure

10. : a stupid mistake : boner

pulled a rock … in right field — Casey Stengel

11. : rock 'n' roll

- of the old rock

- on the rocks

V. transitive verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

: to throw stones at

VI. noun

1. : a small crystallized mass of crack cocaine

2. also rock cocaine : crack herein

- between a rock and a hard place

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.