rocking chair

American

noun

a chair mounted on rockers or springs so as to permit a person to rock back and forth while sitting.

rocking chair British

noun

a chair set on curving supports so that the sitter may rock backwards and forwards

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of rocking chair

An Americanism dating back to 1750–60

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.

I’d rather have a big pile of Benjamins when I’m ready for my rocking chair.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026

"They were swinging on the rocking chair, looking at the book, talking about the pictures and giggling," she said.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2025

The latest vacant unit — a two-bed, one-bath with a den — includes bar stools and a rocking chair that Lawrence carved.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

"Some of us are just made that way. We are not made to sit in a rocking chair and knit," KlimaSeniorinnen member Elisabeth Stern, 76, told BBC News.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2024

Making sure to keep the smile from my face, I resumed my sewing, though I couldn’t keep my toes from giving a vigorous push to that rocking chair.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023