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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

Radio Caroline, a former pirate radio that now mostly plays rock music, apologised in May after airing messages falsely announcing the monarch's death.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

"I get closer. And my heart stops. It wasn't a rock," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Then comes the sound, clams tossed in hot pans, cleavers pounding roast pork, a Cantonese rock ballad barely rising above the crowd.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

The incoming rock was fragile and broke apart quickly as it traveled through the atmosphere.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

The rat bounded to the top of the rock and stood on his hind legs to meet Clare’s eyes.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

“It’s crazy when Phil Spector produces your record and you still don’t have a top ten record,” Eddie Vedder mentioned when he inducted the Ramones into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

Kidango began moving into Alum Rock Union in 2003 and then Berryessa Union in 2025 — before taking over entire campuses in both districts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Alum Rock Union enrolls less than half of the students of its peak years in the early 2000s, and a $20-million budget shortfall in the 2024-25 school year resulted in multiple school closures and consolidations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Gannet chicks taken from Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth were sold in a market in Edinburgh.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

I made one last look-around for Declaration—no, not yet—then Dismay and I made our way to the top of Listening Rock.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

Writing something is a bit like polishing rocks.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

He rocks black frames and speaks carefully, as if choosing his words from a mental teleprompter.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

Myerscough said fossil hunting was all about looking for patterns in the rocks.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Despite the elevated values, the rocks do not contain enough gold to be commercially mined.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

The front shows a tropical waterfall with bright turquoise water crashing over jagged rocks.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech told AFP three explosions rocked the ship on June 6, flooding several areas including the steering gear compartment and pump room.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

More than an hour after the quake, an apparent explosion rocked an Aeon shopping mall near the quake’s epicenter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

This federal suspension and resulting lawsuit has rocked his confidence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

For the first time in the history of the UK series, only three couples were in the final after several shock twists rocked the villa during Sunday's episode.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Some of its walls had collapsed, and its flimsy roof rocked side to side with the waves, but it was still standing.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

When Julie Masino became Cracker Barrel’s CEO in 2023, she arrived with plans to modernize a restaurant chain known for breakfast, meatloaf, rocking chairs and a homespun atmosphere.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

I sat in profile on a rocking chair, which kept me from being restless.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

“You’re on a cruise, you got a bunch of people, a bunch of noise, maybe the boat’s rocking and you don’t even notice it before it’s just too late.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Now that Graham’s gone, it’s only fitting that his imaginary grandma rest her bewigged skeleton in that great rocking chair in the sky.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

We stood there, rocking, and then he put his hand on my head.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Related Words

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