rook

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈru̇k 

: a common Old World gregarious crow (Corvus frugilegus) that nests and roosts in usually treetop colonies

Illustration of rook

rook

2 of 4

verb

rooked; rooking; rooks

transitive verb

: to defraud by cheating or swindling

rook

3 of 4

noun (2)

: 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

rook

4 of 4

noun (3)

: rookie

Synonyms of rook

Verb

• hustle
• pluck
• cheat
• sting
• squeeze
• screw
• stick
• beat

Noun (3)

• novice
• beginner
• rookie
• apprentice
• freshman
• newcomer

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

Noun

In chess, which has a far smaller grid, a rook can move only horizontally and a bishop only diagonally, but Go pieces can be placed on any open space. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 2026

All Saints is also offering a $31 piercing special, plus the cost of the jewelry, for lobe, helix, conch, rook, tragus, flat, nostril, eyebrow, lip, Medusa, labret, Ashley, Monroe, tongue and nipple. —Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026

Verb

Faux snug and rook Inspired to get a snug or rook piercing but don’t have the anatomy for the real deal? —Marianne Mychaskiw, Allure, 24 Jan. 2026

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English hrōc; akin to Old High German hruoch rook

Noun (2)

Middle English rok, from Anglo-French roc, from Arabic rukhkh, from Persian rukh

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1595, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1902, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rook

• book
• brook
• crook
• hook
• look
• mook
• nook
• shook
• snook
• stook
• took
• betook

Kids Definition

rook

1 of 3 noun

ˈru̇k 

: a common Old World crow that nests and sleeps in groups usually in treetops

rook

2 of 3 verb

: cheat entry 1 sense 1, swindle

rook

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