rock-'n'-roll

American  

[rok-uhn-rohl] / ˈrɒk ənˈroʊl /

Or rock-and-roll,

noun

1. a style of popular music that derives in part from blues and folk music and is marked by a heavily accented beat and a simple, repetitive phrase structure.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to this music.

verb (used without object)

1. to dance to or play rock-'n'-roll.

rock 'n' roll Cultural  

1. Popular music combining elements of blues (or rhythm and blues), gospel music, and country and western music, and known for its strong beat and urgent lyrics. Well-known early, pioneering rock 'n' roll artists or groups include Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, the Supremes, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley.

---

Other Word Forms

• rock-'n'-roller noun

Etymology

Origin of rock-'n'-roll

1950–55; contraction of phrase rock and roll; rock ²

Example Sentences

What was the first rock ’n’ roll single to hit No. 1?

From The Wall Street Journal

From the origins of “Yankee Doodle” to the first rock ’n’ roll single to hit No. 1—or identifying presidential nicknames and recalling movie lines—there’s much to know about culture in America.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The instinct is to just get rid of social media. Before that, it was television, rock ’n’ roll, the original phone,” Ferguson said.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the late 1960s, a peculiar new synergy emerged between rock ’n’ roll music and television: Put a rock star in a hotel room with a TV, and the TV wouldn’t come out alive.

From The Wall Street Journal

Today, rock ’n’ roll is past its heyday, and many icons of the genre are fading as well.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• popular music