Illustration of rook
: a common Old World gregarious crow (Corvus frugilegus) that nests and roosts in usually treetop colonies
: either of two pieces of each color in a set of chessmen having the power to move along the ranks or files across any number of unoccupied squares
called also castle
Examples of rook in a Sentence
Verb
once you learn to recognize these swindler's tricks, no one will be able to use them to rook you
Noun (3)
every year the coaches have to deal with rooks who don't know the rules yet
Recent Examples on the Web
Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Aug. 2025
Mike Will out for $20 mil in for $3m. Poona in for minimum and out for $27m. Josh P from rook deal to out for $36m. Fulton in for cheap out $20m to Chiefs (thx for the comp pick).
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for rook
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Noun
Rest of the rooks The Broncos rookies beyond Barron and Harvey should be heavily in the mix.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 8 Aug. 2025
Mike Will out for $20 mil in for $3m. Poona in for minimum and out for $27m. Josh P from rook deal to out for $36m. Fulton in for cheap out $20m to Chiefs (thx for the comp pick).
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Verb
The state says Trump rooked his way into the financing, at attractive interest rates, by padding his wealth.
—Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for rook
Cite this Entry
“Rook.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rook. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rook
1 of 3 noun
: a common Old World crow that nests and sleeps in groups usually in treetops
rook
2 of 3 verbrook
3 of 3 noun
: a chessman that can move parallel to the sides of the board across any number of unoccupied squares
Etymology
Noun
Old English hrōc "crowlike bird"
Noun
Middle English rok "chess piece," from early French roc (same meaning), from Arabic rukhkh (same meaning); of Persian origin
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