rock-'n'-roll
noun
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.
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rock-'n'-roll
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rock 'n' roll
rock 'n' rollPopular 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.
rock-'n'-roll
American
[rok-uhn-rohl]
/ ˈrɒk ənˈroʊl /
Or
rock-and-roll,
noun
adjective
verb (used without object)
rock 'n' roll
Cultural
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rock-'n'-roll
1950–55; contraction of phrase rock and roll; see rock 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The notion that he was a clever enough fellow to come up with the ideal name for a rock-’n’-roll jukebox, while flattering, was impossible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
On Saturday another will make their mark on Slane's rock-'n'-roll history spanning 40 years as headliner Harry Styles gears up to entertain a crowd of 80,000 for his sold-out show.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2023
Cue the intro credits, and we smash cut to Buddy BeBop, an uncool high schooler with dreams of becoming a rock-’n’-roll musician.
From Slate ● Oct. 31, 2022
Burning Guitars’ collection was bold, brash and too over-the-top for anyone but a rock-‘n’-roll frontman, while Datari Austin used fabrics that came across as a little blasé and — dare we say — cheap.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2017
Her new album, “The Firewatcher’s Daughter,” veers into more rock-’n’-roll terrain but still has gentle, cathartic moments of balladry, most notably on the Laurel Canyon-folk-influenced single “The Eye.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2015
Depending on who you talk to, Elvis Presley was either the king of rock ‘n’ roll or a no-good thief.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
The prehistory of rock ‘n’ roll is full of names who might have become stars if they were gifted with his baby blues or discovered by a relentless schemer on the level Col.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026
In 1977, Rolling Stone’s reviewer Kit Rachlis said the LP “offers rock ’n’ roll in the classic mold: bold, aggressive and grandiloquent.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
“And the Paradox is in the business of bringing rock ’n’ roll back to the originators.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
I turned on the radio and tuned it to the station that played rock ’n’ roll music.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
