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 pass wasn’t perfectly timed, and glanced off the hands of the rookie tight end, who was near the goal line.
From Los Angeles Times
During training camp, Verse said that he spent the offseason studying the positive plays he made as a rookie, but also the ones he missed.
From Los Angeles Times
Having been a Kings fan since Luc Robitaille’s rookie year, I have seen some very good Kings teams and some very bad ones.
From Los Angeles Times
Cleveland’s defense offers some resistance, but the Browns won’t get a lot of help from their rookie quarterback.
From Los Angeles Times
He was also voted to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2023.
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.
