rocky
English
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: rŏk'i, IPA(key): /ˈɹɒki/, [ˈɹʷɒki]
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɹɑki/, [ˈɹʷɑki]
Audio (Midwestern US): (file) - (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈɹɔki/, [ˈɹʷɔki]
- Rhymes: -ɒki
Etymology 1
[edit]From Middle English rokki, rokky (“rocky”),[1] from rok, rokke (“rock; a rock or stone; large rock by a coast or in the sea; rocky outcrop on a mountain, cliff; castle, citadel, stronghold”) [and other forms][2] + -i (suffix forming adjectives).[3] Rok, rokke are derived from:
- Old English *rocc (“rock”); and
- Anglo-Norman roc, roce, roque, and Old French roce, roke, roque, variants of roche (“rock”);
both from Medieval Latin roca, rocca; further etymology uncertain, possibly of Celtic origin. The English word is analysable as rock + -y (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘having the quality of’).[4][5]
Adjective
[edit]rocky (comparative rockier or more rocky, superlative rockiest or most rocky)
- Abounding in, or full of, rocks; consisting of rocks.
- a rocky mountain a rocky shore
- Like a rock; rigid, solid.
- (Of an animal or plant) Having a habitat around or on rocks.
- (figuratively, archaic) Not easily affected or impressed; stony; hard; obdurate; unfeeling.
- to have a rocky heart
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
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Etymology 2
[edit]From rock (“to move back and forth”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘having the quality of’).[5][6] Rock is derived from Middle English rokken (“to move (something, such as a cradle) back and forth; to move or sway back and forth in an unstable manner; to go”) […],[7] from Old English roccian (“to rock”), from Proto-Germanic *rukkōną (“to move; to move back and forth, rock”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃rewk- (“to dig; to till (soil)”).
Adjective
[edit]rocky (comparative rockier or more rocky, superlative rockiest or most rocky)
- Easily rocked; unstable.
- (figuratively)
- Encountering many problems; difficult, troubled; also, in danger or distress.
- (encountering many problems): Synonyms: hard, tough; see also Thesaurus:difficult
- (in danger): Synonyms: unsteady; see also Thesaurus:unsteady
- Their relationship had weathered some rocky times, but they loved each other.
- (originally US) Of a person: ill, or unsteady (for example, as a result of a shock).
- Encountering many problems; difficult, troubled; also, in danger or distress.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
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Etymology 3
[edit]From rock (“rock and roll music”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘having the quality of’).[5][8]
Adjective
[edit]rocky (comparative rockier or more rocky, superlative rockiest or most rocky)
- In the style of rock music.
Related terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ “rokkī, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- ^ “rok(ke, n.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- ^ “-ī̆, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- ^ Compare “rocky, adj.1”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2021.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 “rocky, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- ^ “rocky, adj.2”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2021.
- ^ “rokken, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
- ^ “rocky, adj.3”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2019.
Further reading
[edit]rock (geology) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
rock music on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Rocky (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
[edit]- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɒki
- Rhymes:English/ɒki/2 syllables
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Medieval Latin
- English terms derived from Celtic languages
- English terms suffixed with -y (adjectival)
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with archaic senses
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₃rewk-
- English terms suffixed with -y
- English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European
- American English
- English contranyms