rook

[ rook ]

/ rʊk /

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See synonyms for rook on Thesaurus.com

noun

a black, European crow, Corvus frugilegus, noted for its gregarious habits.

a sharper at cards or dice; swindler.

verb (used with object)

to cheat; fleece; swindle.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of rook

First recorded before 900; Middle English rok(e), Old English hrōc; cognate with Old Norse hrōkr, Old High German hruoh

Words nearby rook

rooftop, rooftree, rooibos tea, rooikat, rooinek, rook, rookery, rookie, rooky, room, room and board

Other definitions for rook (2 of 2)

rook²

[ rook ]

/ rʊk /

noun Chess.

one of two pieces of the same color that may be moved any number of unobstructed squares horizontally or vertically; castle.

Origin of rook

1300–50; Middle English rok<Old French roc<Arabic rukhkh<Persian rukh

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rook in a sentence

Nepomniachtchi’s position seemed promising early on, with a strong bishop patrolling acres of space and a rook policing the a-file, the column spanning the western edge of the board.
Another Draw Is A Win For Magnus Carlsen|Oliver Roeder|December 4, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Clocks draining, Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi were locked in an intricate battle for space and material in the board’s southwest corner — an asymmetric skirmish, queen and bishop versus rooks and knight.
How The Longest Game In World Chess Championship History Was Won|Oliver Roeder|December 3, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
The grandmasters agreed to a draw in the position below, with their rooks caught in an endlessly repetitive shuffle.
Some Humble Suggestions To Save Chess From Itself|Oliver Roeder|December 1, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
The king in the top middle could be reached both by the rook one square to its right and the knight one square down and two squares to its left.
Will Riddler Nation Win Gold In Archery?|Zach Wissner-Gross|July 30, 2021|FiveThirtyEight

As the immunologist Graham Rook is fond of saying, co-evolution invariably leads to codependence.
An Epidemic of Absence: Destroying the Bugs in Our Bodies Can Be Dangerous to Our Health|Moises Velasquez-Manoff|September 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Beryn was 'in hevy plyghte,' when he only lost a rook for nothing; Tale of Beryn, 1812.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
The Consul had a good rook-rifle with him; and the kavass, a Serb by nationality, was a very good shot with it.
The Cradle of Mankind|W.A. Wigram
"Hear, hear," said everybody except the crow, who hated the rook.
Wood Magic|Richard Jefferies
Luke is, doubtless, the stray rook, and a fledgeling hath flown hither from a distant country.
Rookwood|William Harrison Ainsworth
He was mounted on his old horse, Rook, and looked grim and haggard as a ghost vanishing at the crowing of the cock.
Rookwood|William Harrison Ainsworth

British Dictionary definitions for rook (1 of 2)

rook¹

/ (rʊk) /

noun

a large Eurasian passerine bird, Corvus frugilegus, with a black plumage and a whitish base to its bill: family Corvidae (crows)

slang a swindler or cheat, esp one who cheats at cards

verb

(tr) slang to overcharge, swindle, or cheat

Word Origin for rook

Old English hrōc; related to Old High German hruoh, Old Norse hrōkr

British Dictionary definitions for rook (2 of 2)

rook²

/ (rʊk) /

noun

a chesspiece that may move any number of unoccupied squares in a straight line, horizontally or verticallyAlso called: castle

Word Origin for rook

C14: from Old French rok, ultimately from Arabic rukhkh

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

rook

Origin of rook

Words nearby rook

Other definitions for rook (2 of 2)

Origin of rook

Words related to rook

How to use rook in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rook (1 of 2)

Word Origin for rook

British Dictionary definitions for rook (2 of 2)

Word Origin for rook