rock

Main Entry:: ¹rock
Pronunciation:: \ˈräk\
Function:: verb
Etymology:: Middle English rokken, from Old English roccian; akin to Old High German rucken to cause to move
Date:: 12th century

transitive verb1: to move back and forth in or as if in a cradle2 a: to cause to sway back and forth <a boat rocked by the waves> b (1): to cause to shake violently (2): to daze with or as if with a vigorous blow <a hard right rocked the contender> (3): to astonish or disturb greatly <the scandal rocked the community>3: to rouse to excitement (as by performing rock music) <rocked the crowd>intransitive verb1: to become moved backward and forward under often violent impact ; also : to move gently back and forth2: to move forward at a steady pace ; also : to move forward at a high speed <the train rocked through the countryside>3: to sing, dance to, or play rock music4slang : to be extremely enjoyable, pleasing, or effective <her new car rocks>

synonyms see shake

— rock the boat

: to do something that disturbs the equilibrium of a situation

Learn more about "rock" and related topics at Britannica.com

See a map of "rock" in the Visual Thesaurus

Find Jobs in Your City

Pronunciation Symbols