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• rock
  rock

  noun

  a stone of any size.
• Rock
  Rock

  noun

  a male given name.

rock

¹ American  

[rok] / rɒk /

noun

1. a stone of any size.

   Please leave the creek rocks in place, as they can be habitats for bugs and other important creatures.

2. stone in the mass.

   It may be difficult to dig a basement for buildings that stand upon rock.

3. a large mass of stone forming a hill, cliff, promontory, or the like.

   They climbed up a nearby rock to eat their picnic lunch.

4. something resembling or suggesting a stone or mass of stone.

5. Geology.

   1. mineral matter of variable composition, consolidated or unconsolidated, assembled in masses or considerable quantities in nature, as by the action of heat or water.

   2. a particular kind of such matter.

      igneous rock.

6. a firm foundation or support.

   They have been a rock in my world, always there when I need a message of hope.

   My faith is my rock in times of trouble.

7. Chiefly British. a kind of hard candy often shaped into a cylindrical stick, variously flavored.

   The textures of this dessert are inspired by boiled sweets like sticks of rock and candy canes.

8. rock candy.

9. Informal. none rocks ice cubes for use in a beverage.

   He usually orders a whiskey without rocks.

10. Slang.

    1. a diamond.

    2. any gem.

11. Slang: Vulgar. Usually rocks testes.

12. Slang. Often rocks

    1. a piece of money.

    2. a dollar bill.

13. Slang.

    1. crack.

    2. a pellet or lump of crack.

14. curling stone.

    Regulation weight is verified for each rock before the curling match can begin.

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idioms

1. between a rock and a hard place, between undesirable alternatives.

2. get one's rocks off,

   1. to have an orgasm.

   2. to experience gratification; get thrills.

3. on the rocks,

   1. in or into a state of disaster or ruin.

      Their marriage is on the rocks.

   2. without funds; destitute; bankrupt.

   3. (of a beverage, especially liquor or a cocktail) with, or containing, ice cubes.

      Scotch on the rocks;

      a vodka martini on the rocks.

rock ² American  

[rok] / rɒk /

verb (used without object)

• rocks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• rocked,
  past participle,  past
• rocking
  present participle

1. to move or sway to and fro or from side to side.

   Synonyms:

   shake, roll

2. to be moved or swayed powerfully with excitement, emotion, etc.

3. Mining. (of sand or gravel) to be washed in a cradle.

4. to dance to or play rock music.

5. (of popular music) to have the driving beat characteristic of rock.

6. Slang. to be very good, impressive, exciting, or effective.

   This show really rocks.

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verb (used with object)

• rocks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• rocked,
  past participle,  past
• rocking
  present participle

1. 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.

2. to lull in security, hope, etc.

3. to affect deeply; move or sway powerfully, as with emotion; stun.

   Everyone in the courtroom was rocked by the verdict.

4. to shake or disturb violently.

   A thunderous explosion rocked the waterfront.

5. Slang.

   1. to stir up; animate.

      We're gonna rock this joint tonight!

   2. 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.

6. Graphic Arts. to roughen the surface of (a copperplate) with a rocker preparatory to scraping a mezzotint.

7. Mining. cradle.

noun

1. a rocking movement.

   the gentle rock of the boat.

2. rock-'n'-roll.

adjective

1. rock-'n'-roll.

idioms

1. rock the boat, to disrupt the smooth functioning or routine of something.

   Don't rock the boat by demanding special treatment from management.

rock ³ American  

[rok] / rɒk /

noun

1. striped bass.

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Rock ⁴ American  

[rok] / rɒk /

Also Rocky

noun

1. a male given name.

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rock ¹ British  

/ rɒk /

noun

1. geology any 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 coal See also igneous sedimentary metamorphic

2. any hard mass of consolidated mineral matter, such as a boulder

3. a stone

4. a person or thing suggesting a rock, esp in being dependable, unchanging, or providing firm foundation

5. a hard sweet, typically a long brightly-coloured peppermint-flavoured stick, sold esp in holiday resorts

6. slang a jewel, esp a diamond

7. short for rock salmon

8. slang (plural) the testicles

9. slang another name for crack

10. having to choose between two equally unpleasant alternatives

11. 1. in a state of ruin or destitution

    2. (of drinks, esp whisky) served with ice

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Rock ² British  

/ rɒk /

noun

1. an informal name for Gibraltar

2. a Canadian informal name for Newfoundland

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rock ³ British  

/ rɒk /

verb

1. to move or cause to move from side to side or backwards and forwards

2. to reel or sway or cause (someone) to reel or sway, as with a violent shock or emotion

3. (tr) to shake or move (something) violently

4. (intr) to dance in the rock-and-roll style

5. mining to wash (ore) or (of ore) to be washed in a cradle

6. (tr) to roughen (a copper plate) with a rocker before engraving a mezzotint

7. slang (tr) to 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

8. informal to create a disturbance in the existing situation

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noun

1. a rocking motion

2. short for rock and roll

3. Also called: rock music. any of various styles of pop music having a heavy beat, derived from rock and roll

rock Scientific  

/ rŏk /

1. 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.

2. A piece of such material; a stone.

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rock More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing rock

• between a rock and a hard place
• on the rocks
• steady as a rock

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Synonym Usage

See swing ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rockable
  adjective
• rockless
  adjective
• rocklike
  adjective
• unrocked
  adjective
• rockingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• rocking
  present
• rocked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• rock
  simple
• rocks
  simple
• have rocked
  perfect
• has rocked
  perfect
• am rocking
  progressive
• are rocking
  progressive
• is rocking
  progressive
• have been rocking
  perfect progressive
• has been rocking
  perfect progressive

Past

• rocked
  simple
• had rocked
  perfect
• was rocking
  progressive
• were rocking
  progressive
• had been rocking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will rock
  simple
• will have rocked
  perfect
• will be rocking
  progressive
• will have been rocking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of rock¹

First recorded in 1300–50; 1905–10 rock ¹ for def. 10; Middle English rokk(ke), from Old French roche, ro(c)que; compare Provençal, Spanish roca, Italian rocca, Medieval Latin rocca, rocha (becoming late Old English -rocc in stānrocc “stone-rock, obelisk”); cf. roche alum

Origin of rock²

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”

Origin of rock³

First recorded in 1690–1700; short for rockfish

Explanation

If you are asked to rock a baby, please do not throw a stone at it. Instead, move the baby gently from side to side. If this doesn't calm the child, play some loud rock music. When rocking a baby you move gently, but when you're told not to “rock the boat” the rocking movement referred to is more violent, enough to tip the boat over. This kind of motion has more in common with what you do when “rocking out” listening to music. A rock is also a lump of mineral, and if we say someone is "like a rock," we mean he's totally dependable.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rock Rock rocks rocked rocking

This meant chewing through a layer of rock tough enough to require gunpowder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The rock group added 40 North American dates in May, with shows slated through Nov. 28 in San Francisco.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

Women who people-please and don't show negative emotion can progress to a certain level on the career ladder, but to make it to the top you need to rock the boat, she argues.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

My wife and I recently struggled trying to unload roughly 100 rock, pop, Broadway, soundtracks, classical, comedy and children’s albums that we don’t plan to bring to our new home.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

In their place, a rock had started to form in my throat.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Once back on earth, that moonrock was split into 80 pieces - distributed to each student - and Gethings became the custodian of the UK's Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

The story of his journey to becoming custodian of the UK's Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock is set to be told in a 30-minute documentary by University of Lancashire graduate Sarah Bullough.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

At a final construction update held near the crossing Thursday, Robert Rock, lead landscape architect and principal designer for the crossing, explained that the soil in the area is rich in clay and silt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

We’re witnessing the power of pure art, even as Rock cleverly waters down the moment with the sound of an unseen bartender rattling a martini shaker in the background.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

“I can explain how to get to Elephant Rock if you want.”

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

Negative beta stocks helped limit the S&P 500’s losses during the March selloff and again in July, when the powerful artificial-intelligence-driven momentum trade hit the rocks, Emanuel said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The impact likely churned up older material and mixed the fossils into the rocks while still preserving them.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

The vehicle veered off the road into multiple rocks on Saturday along Highway 1 near Deer Creek.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Newton, originally from Poole, and father-of-three Martinson were both lying on their backs surrounded by large rocks.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

He felt each pad strike the rocks as never before.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Among recent cases where authors allegedly used AI, the most high-profile is that of Haitian-Canadian author Thelyson Orelien, which has rocked the French-language literary world.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

It was rocked by a MeToo scandal in 2018 that left it in tatters, and more than half of its members have since been replaced.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

"He rocked the crowd. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand. He still does it on the television, and he's the reason that most people watch The Voice," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

A string of partner departures has rocked Weil Gotshal & Manges in recent months, sister publication Financial News reports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The giant robot pelican suit rocked but didn’t fall.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

Bad things happen when good people stand by and say nothing, even if they are trying to avoid rocking the boat, fear upsetting people or risk ruining a relationship.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

"It forces the person to perhaps feel like they're rocking back and forth for that brief moment when the speed of the car suddenly changes," says Hac.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Claims that Canadian-Haitian writer Thelyson Orelien used AI tools to write his best-selling debut novel are rocking the French literary world and posing questions about how AI can be detected.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

The scene where Harris approached a captured bug, rocking an ankle-length black trench coat with his blonde hair in a close crew cut, was the closest “Troopers” came to clubbing the audience in the ribs.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026

I asked casually, pushing back and forth in my rocking chair again.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• earth
• gravel
• lava
• metal
• rubble
• slab