rock hound

Or rockhound

noun

Informal.

1. a geologist.

2. an amateur collector of rocks, fossils, or minerals.

Word History and Origins

Origin of rock hound¹

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

As a full-time rock hound for more than a decade, Major has seen the culture go through something of a crystal craze.

Read more on New York Times

“If you’re looking for crystals, Arkansas is the best in the world,” says Bryan Major, 43, a self-described rock hound from Wilmington, N.C., who spends much of the year traveling the country digging for minerals, gems and crystals.

Read more on New York Times

As a boy, I was a rock hound, and I learned how to identify minerals with the Mohs hardness test, named after the mineralogist who invented it.

Read more on Scientific American

“I like to fish; Kathy likes to rock hound,” said Tom, 69, on a recent spring morning in the living room of the ranch house where they still live, surrounded by 250 heads of Black Angus and about 40 cats.

Read more on Washington Post

“It does make stuff grow like crazy,” said Nikki Roberts of Rock Hound garden and landscape supply, along Highway 41 and Poleline Road in Post Falls.

Read more on Seattle Times