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rock

rock

∞ 1.0
Hard natural stone that you find on the ground or underground
  • noun
  • /rɑk/
: roca
  • Where the water meets the rock, the cliffs are the color of sulfur.
  • rock art
  • rock formations
  • sedimentary rock

You think that the moon is just a rock and then so on.

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Examples

  • The climbers found a large rock to practice their skills on during the weekend trip.

  • There are lots of rocks and a big tree.

  • Probably this planet has both rock and water.

  • Hit it against the rock, gently.

  • So I'm currently holding a rock from outer space.

  • The views of the surrounding hills and the massive red rock architecture are breathtaking in every direction.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Little Vincent hits his head on a rock and survives, but he is gravely hurt.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The salt also squeezed through fault lines in the rock, producing salt anticlines.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Even so, an intricate picture of Harappan rock and mineral acquisition is beginning to emerge.

    Academic text (2008)
  • We helped establish tree nurseries, build mud stoves, construct rock lines, and plant gardens.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

stone
vsrock
897 1.0

A hard natural rock used for building or a small piece of it

is the broad name for any hard natural mineral material found on Earth
granite
vsrock
69 3.5

A very hard, coarse rock often used for buildings, statues, and countertops

is the general term covering all such hard natural mineral materials
volcanic rock
vsrock
  • Specialized
5 3.6

A hard rock made when hot melted rock cools on or near the Earth's surface

is the broader word that covers these surface-formed types among others
sedimentary rock
vsrock
  • Specialized
3 3.5

Rock made from layers of sand, mud, or broken shells

is the general name that includes these and other formation processes
igneous rock
vsrock
  • Specialized
2 4.1

A hard, solid material that forms when hot, melted rock cools

is more general, covering all hard mineral materials regardless of how they formed
quartzite
vsrock
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A hard rock that forms when sandstone changes under heat and pressure

is the broader label for any hard natural mineral material regardless of origin
peridotite
vsrock
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A dark rock from deep inside the Earth made mostly of the green mineral olivine

is the wide term for all hard mineral materials without naming composition
gritstone
vsrock
  • UK
1 9.1

A hard coarse rock made mostly of sand grains

is the inclusive word for any hard natural mineral material rather than a specific kind
porphyritic rock
vsrock
  • Specialized
1 9.6

A rock that has large crystals inside a finer-grained rock

is the inclusive term for any hard natural mineral material rather than this texture detail
plutonic rock
vsrock
  • Specialized
8.7

A rock that forms when melted rock deep underground cools slowly

is the general label that includes deep-formed and other hard mineral materials

Idioms

rock solid
  • Informal
31 3.6

Very strong and not likely to fail or be wrong

25 4.8

To reach the lowest point in your life before you begin to get better

to rock the boat
  • Informal
22 5.3

Do or say something that causes trouble and upsets other people

A difficult situation where you have no good choice

6 8.0

Not knowing things most people know

To play or enjoy music very loudly and with wild energy

Compounds

173 3.1

A famous musician who plays rock music and attracts many fans

148 1.8

A type of popular music from the 1950s with a strong beat and electric guitars

87 3.0

A style of popular music from the 1950s with a strong beat

76 2.1

A group of musicians who play rock music with electric guitars, bass, and drums

rock bottom
  • Informal
47 4.4

A very low point in life, money, or feelings

42 1.6

Popular songs with loud electric guitars and a strong beat

38 2.9

Rock music that is loud and fast with short angry songs often about politics

26 3.0

To go up steep rock walls using ropes and safety gear

22 2.0

A public show where bands play rock music for an audience

21 3.2

Very hard and solid like stone

solid rock
  • Informal
17 3.5

A person or thing you can depend on for strong support

15 2.1

A band of musicians who play rock music

15 2.9

Rock music from the late 1960s to the 1980s that remains popular and influential

rock formation
  • Specialized
14 3.6

A natural shape of rocks made over a long time by wind or water

11 2.6

Popular music from 1950s America with a strong beat and simple tunes

9 4.5

At the lowest possible price or level

8 2.3

Large grains of salt from the ground used to melt ice or season food

A large boulder on the shore of Plymouth, Massachusetts said to be where Pilgrims landed in 1620

6 2.2

A hard sweet made of large clear sugar crystals on a stick

5 3.2

A garden with many rocks and low plants like mountain flowers

volcanic rock
  • Specialized
5 3.6

A hard rock made when hot melted rock cools on or near the Earth's surface

4 4.8

A musical show that tells a story using rock songs

4 3.0

A person who goes up steep rocks or artificial walls using hands and feet for sport

An amount of money that is as low as possible

3 4.6

A city in northwest Illinois on the Mississippi River known for its Union prison during the Civil War

sedimentary rock
  • Specialized
3 3.5

Rock made from layers of sand, mud, or broken shells

A large rock at Spain's south tip that belongs to Britain and controls access to the Mediterranean

2 4.3

Very steady and reliable in what someone does

igneous rock
  • Specialized
2 4.1

A hard, solid material that forms when hot, melted rock cools

Rock music with long, complex songs that mix other styles and sounds

2 9.8

A person with very firm political beliefs who does not change

1 7.1

A style of rock music with unusual sounds from jazz and classical, meant for listening not dancing

metamorphic rock
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A rock changed by heat and pressure inside the earth

rock outcrop
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A piece of hard rock that sticks out above the ground

acid rock
  • Archaic
1 5.7

A 1960s rock style with long guitar solos and unusual sounds often linked to drug use

rock hard abs
  • Informal
1 4.7

Stomach muscles that are very firm and easy to see

1 6.8

A person who collects rocks and minerals as a hobby

rock lobster
  • Australian
1 3.8

A large sea animal with a spiny shell and no big claws eaten as food

1 6.9

A large gray ground squirrel that lives among rocks in the US Southwest

1 4.8

Rock music from the 1960s with unusual sounds and effects that suggest drug experiences

rock crystal
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A clear, colorless mineral used to make lenses and in some electronics

A desert in northwestern Nevada with a large flat dry lakebed and an annual arts festival

1 2.8

Large hard sugar crystals that people use to sweeten drinks and decorate food

crushed rock
  • Specialized
1 3.0

Small pieces of rock made by crushing larger stones and used for paths and building

A person who plays, sings, or writes rock and roll music

rock hopper
  • New Zealand
1 8.3

A small penguin with a yellow crest that jumps on rocks

1 4.5

A small sea animal with a hard shell that lives on rocky shores

1 9.0

Land that has many steep rocky cliffs

1 3.7

A wild grey pigeon with black stripes on its wings that many domestic pigeons come from

The lowest point something can reach

1 8.1

A small firm white fish like dogfish that is often sold in British fish and chip shops

1 8.1

A venomous snake that lives among rocks in the southwestern United States and Mexico

1 4.8

A freshwater fish in North America that lives in shallow, rocky water and people catch for food or sport

rock drill
  • Specialized
1 4.4

A powered tool that drills holes in rock for mining or building

trap rock
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A hard dark rock formed by volcanoes that people use to build roads and buildings

1 4.5

Music that mixes jazz solo playing with rock rhythms and electric instruments

An American chicken breed with black and white stripes that lays eggs well

rock oil
  • Archaic
1 9.5

A dark thick oil found underground used for fuel and making products

1 4.8

A large North American tree with hard wood used for furniture and sap used to make syrup

rock hyrax
  • South African
1 9.9

A small animal that eats plants and lives on rocks in Africa and the Middle East

rock wool
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A light, fluffy material made from melted rock used to keep buildings warm and safe from fire

living rock
  • South African
1 9.9

A small plant with thick leaves that look like a stone

rock fever
  • Specialized
1 9.4

A sickness you catch from sick animals, meat, or milk that causes fever and headache

A bright red or orange South American bird with a fan-shaped crest

1 8.2

Solid ground next to a line of minerals or a crack underground

1 3.4

Gear used for climbing rocks, like ropes, safety belts, metal clips, and helmets

rock wallaby
  • Australian
1 7.9

A small animal like a kangaroo with long legs that lives among rocks

rock-dumb
  • Offensive
1 9.8

So surprised that you cannot speak or move

rock python
  • South African
1 7.1

A very large African snake that kills prey by squeezing it

1 4.2

A plant that grows among rocks or in a rock garden

1 7.8

A small evergreen shrub with pretty pink or white flowers and scented leaves that grows in dry sunny places

1 6.7

A small plump chicken that people raise for meat

1 6.9

A small young chicken raised for eating, often roasted

How Big

boulder
77 2.2
rock
∞ 1.0
stone
897 1.0
pebble
52 1.0
grain
29 3.7

Surface Forms

rock singular
rocks plural

Etymology

Rock comes from an old English word rocc meaning 'stone'. Think of a hard, heavy piece of the earth — that is why a rock is a hard, solid mineral.