rok
A1Neutral to Informal
Definition
Meaning
A large mass of stone forming a cliff, peak, or natural outcrop; also, a small stone or piece of stone.
Solid mineral material forming part of the Earth's crust; something resembling a rock in firmness or solidity (e.g., a foundation); a type of popular music with a strong beat; a diamond or other precious stone (slang).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a mass noun ('rock'), it refers to the geological material. As a count noun ('a rock'), it typically refers to a single stone, often larger than a pebble. The musical sense is a separate, highly frequent lexical item.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK English, 'stone' is often preferred for smaller, individual pieces. In US English, 'rock' is used more broadly for all sizes.
Connotations
Both share core meanings. The musical genre 'rock' is identical.
Frequency
The word is extremely high frequency in both varieties, with the geological/material sense being slightly more common in AmE everyday speech.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[V] rock (The boat rocked.)[V N] rock something (She rocked the baby.)[V prep/adv] rock back and forth[V N prep/adv] rock the boat (idiomatic)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “between a rock and a hard place”
- “on the rocks (of a relationship/drink)”
- “rock the boat”
- “solid as a rock”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Metaphor for stability: 'Our finances are on rock solid ground.' Also 'rock the boat' = disrupt stability.
Academic
Primary geological term: 'The sample consisted of metamorphic rock.'
Everyday
Very common: 'Don't throw rocks.' 'I love classic rock.' 'The chair rocks.'
Technical
Specific in geology (sedimentary rock), engineering (rock mechanics), and musicology (rock genre).
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- They built the house on a foundation of solid rock.
- He skipped a flat stone across the pond, not a rock.
American English
- The kids climbed on the big rocks by the river.
- Let's listen to some 80s rock on the drive.
verb
British English
- The explosion rocked the entire neighbourhood.
- She gently rocked the pram to soothe the infant.
American English
- The scandal rocked the political establishment.
- Don't rock your chair back on two legs.
adjective
British English
- He has a vast rock music collection.
- They faced a rock-hard surface.
American English
- It's a classic rock anthem.
- She gave him a rock-solid promise.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Children should not throw rocks.
- This chair can rock.
- I like rock music.
- The ship rocked violently in the storm.
- Granite is a very hard type of rock.
- His family is his rock.
- The recent data has rocked the scientific community's long-held assumptions.
- The contract was on the rocks for months before they finally signed.
- The new evidence rocked the very foundations of the theory.
- Caught between the demands of two powerful clients, she was truly between a rock and a hard place.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a large, immovable ROCK with a clock (sounds like 'rock') sitting on it, ticking steadily — both are solid and measure time (like rock music defined an era).
Conceptual Metaphor
STABILITY/STRENGTH IS A ROCK ('rock-solid argument'); DIFFICULTY/OBSTACLE IS A ROCK ('hit a rock'); CHANGE/MOVEMENT IS ROCKING ('rocked the nation').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend: Russian 'рок' (fate, doom) is unrelated. English 'rock' is 'скала' (large), 'камень' (stone).
- Confusion with 'stone': In English, a small 'rock' and a 'stone' are often interchangeable in AmE, but 'stone' can sound more natural in BrE for smaller pieces.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'rock' for tiny grains of sand or soil. *'My shoe had a rock in it' (if very small, 'pebble' or 'stone' is better).
- Confusing verb forms: past tense is 'rocked', not 'rock'. *'Yesterday he rock the cradle.'
Practice
Quiz
In British English, which word might be preferred for a small, throwable stone found in a garden?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In American English, they are often used interchangeably. In British English, 'stone' is more common for smaller, individual pieces, while 'rock' suggests a larger mass or the geological material. A geologist studies 'rock', not 'stone'.
Yes. Uncountable: 'The tunnel was drilled through solid rock.' Countable: 'I tripped over a rock in the path.'
Indirectly. It's a shortening of 'rock and roll', which itself likely originated from African American slang meaning 'to dance' or from the phrase 'rock and roll' describing the motion of a ship, metaphorically applied to the music's rhythm.
It has two common meanings: 1) A drink served with ice cubes ('whisky on the rocks'), 2) A relationship or plan that is failing and likely to end ('Their marriage is on the rocks').