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rookie

American  
[rook-ee] / ˈrʊk i /

noun

  1. an athlete playing their first season as a member of a professional sports team.

    The rookie replaced the injured regular at first base.

  2. a raw recruit, as in the army or on a police force.

  3. a novice; tyro.

rookie British  
/ ˈrʊkɪ /

noun

  1. informal an inexperienced person or newcomer, esp a raw recruit in the army

"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

Usage

What does Rookie of the Year mean? Rookie of the Year is an award given to an athlete judged most accomplished in the first season of their sport.

Etymology

Origin of rookie

1890–95; alteration of recruit; -y 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.

Everybody warned the rookies about the gorge, also known as “The Gut” and “The Chute.”

From Literature

That 2024 pick turned into linebacker Jared Verse, who was named defensive rookie of the year.

From The Wall Street Journal

He is due to earn $13.6 million this season in the final year of his rookie contract.

From Los Angeles Times

He was named the offensive rookie of the year in 2019 and made the Pro Bowl in each of the next two seasons.

From Los Angeles Times

The 21-year-old Frenchman spent his rookie season at sister team Racing Bulls and gained his maiden podium - a third place at the Dutch Grand Prix.

From BBC

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.