rookie
Americannoun
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an athlete playing their first season as a member of a professional sports team.
The rookie replaced the injured regular at first base.
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a raw recruit, as in the army or on a police force.
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a novice; tyro.
noun
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
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.
The 12 Olympic rookies on Team USA skated as if they were stunned by the moment.
“I went to my first rookie camp and I did really well, got invited back to some more camps, and ended up making my first World Cup team.”
From Los Angeles Times
San Antonio rookie forward Carter Bryant delivered a ball between the legs, one-handed slam for a perfect 50 points in his first finals dunk.
From Barron's
It featured three teams of rookies and second-year players and a team of G League talent in a mini-tournament.
From Barron's
Since 2023 it has featured 28 players — seven G League players along with 21 rookies and sophomores.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
