rock

/rɑk/

/rɒk/

Other forms: rocks; rocking; rocked

If you are asked to rock a baby, please do not throw a stone at it. Instead, move the baby gently from side to side. If this doesn't calm the child, play some loud rock music.

When rocking a baby you move gently, but when you're told not to “rock the boat” the rocking movement referred to is more violent, enough to tip the boat over. This kind of motion has more in common with what you do when “rocking out” listening to music. A rock is also a lump of mineral, and if we say someone is "like a rock," we mean he's totally dependable.

Definitions of rock

1. noun

   material consisting of the aggregate of minerals like those making up the Earth's crust
   “that mountain is solid rock”

   synonyms: stone

   types:

   quartzite

   hard metamorphic rock consisting essentially of interlocking quartz crystals

   road metal

   broken rock used for repairing or making roads

   sedimentary rock

   rock formed from consolidated clay sediments

   sial

   the granitelike rocks that form the outermost layer of the earth's crust; rich in silicon and aluminum

   sima

   rock that form the continuous lower layer of the earth's crust; rich in silicon and magnesium

   metamorphic rock

   rock altered by pressure and heat

   crushed rock, gravel

   rock fragments and pebbles

   caliche

   nitrate-bearing rock or gravel of the sodium nitrate deposits of Chile and Peru

   shingling

   (geology) sediment in which flat pebbles are uniformly tilted in the same direction

   pumice, pumice stone

   a porous rock formed on the surface of some lavas

   aphanite

   fine-grained homogeneous rock (such as basalt) containing minerals undetectable by the naked eye

   claystone

   fine-grained rock consisting of compacted clay particles

   dolomite

   a kind of sedimentary rock resembling marble or limestone but rich in magnesium carbonate

   emery rock, emery stone

   a mixture of emery dust and a binder; can be molded into grindstones

   conglomerate, pudding stone

   a composite rock made up of particles of varying size

   fieldstone

   stone that occurs naturally in fields; often used as building material

   greisen

   a granitic rock composed of quartz and mica

   calc-tufa, tufa

   a soft porous rock consisting of calcium carbonate deposited from springs rich in lime

   magma

   molten rock in the earth's crust

   igneous rock

   rock formed by the solidification of molten magma

   limestone

   a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium that was deposited by the remains of marine animals

   marble

   a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material

   matrix

   (geology) amass of fine-grained rock in which fossils, crystals, or gems are embedded

   amphibolite

   a metamorphic rock composed chiefly of amphibole and plagioclase

   argillite

   a sedimentary rock differing from shale in being bound by silica and from slate in having no slate cleavages

   arenaceous rock

   a sedimentary rock composed of sand

   argillaceous rock

   a sedimentary rock formed from clay deposits

   rudaceous rock

   a sedimentary rock formed of coarse-grained material

   marlite, marlstone

   metamorphic rock with approximately the same composition as marl

   hornfels, hornstone

   a fine-grained metamorphic rock formed by the action of heat on clay rocks

   ballast

   coarse gravel laid to form a bed for streets and railroads

   bank gravel, pit run, pit-run gravel

   gravel as found in natural deposits

   shingle

   coarse beach gravel of small waterworn stones and pebbles (or a stretch of shore covered with such gravel)

   slate

   a fine-grained metamorphic rock that can be split into thin layers

   andesite

   a dark grey volcanic rock

   aplite

   light-colored and fine-grained granitic rock consisting chiefly of quartz and feldspars

   gneiss

   a laminated metamorphic rock similar to granite

   schist

   any metamorphic rock that can be split into thin layers

   groundmass

   (geology) the matrix of fine-grained crystalline material in which larger crystals are embedded

   adesite

   dark greyish extrusive rock

   batholite, batholith, pluton, plutonic rock

   large mass of intrusive igneous rock believed to have solidified deep within the earth

   diorite

   a granular crystalline intrusive rock

   gabbro

   one of a family of granular intrusive rocks

   pegmatite

   a form of igneous rock consisting of extremely coarse granite resulting from the crystallization of magma rich in rare elements

   peridotite

   a dark coarse-grained igneous rock consisting principally of olivine

   rhyolite

   very acid volcanic rock

   volcanic rock

   extrusive igneous rock solidified near or on the surface of the Earth

   limestone

   a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium that was deposited by the remains of marine animals

   rottenstone, tripoli

   a weathered and decomposed siliceous limestone; in powdered form it is used in polishing

   verd antique, verde antique

   a dark green impure marble

   porphyritic rock, porphyry

   any igneous rock with crystals embedded in a finer groundmass of minerals

   shale

   a sedimentary rock formed by the deposition of successive layers of clay

   type of:

   material, stuff

   the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
2. noun

   a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
   “he threw a rock at me”

   synonyms: stone

   types:

   achondrite

   a stony meteor lacking chondrules

   bedrock

   solid unweathered rock lying beneath surface deposits of soil

   boulder, bowlder

   a large smooth mass of rock detached from its place of origin

   calculus, concretion

   a hard lump produced by the concretion of mineral salts; found in hollow organs or ducts of the body

   chondrite

   a rock of meteoric origin containing chondrules

   clastic rock

   (geology) a rock composed of broken pieces of older rocks

   crystal, crystallisation, crystallization

   a rock formed by the solidification of a substance; has regularly repeating internal structure; external plane faces

   intrusion

   rock produced by an intrusive process

   outcrop, outcropping, rock outcrop

   the part of a rock formation that appears above the surface of the surrounding land

   pebble

   a small smooth rounded rock

   petrifaction

   a rock created by petrifaction; an organic object infiltrated with mineral matter and preserved in its original form

   sill

   (geology) a flat (usually horizontal) mass of igneous rock between two layers of older sedimentary rock

   stepping stone

   a stone in a marsh or shallow water that can be stepped on in crossing

   tor

   a prominent rock or pile of rocks on a hill

   wall rock

   a rock immediately adjacent to a vein or fault

   whin, whinstone

   any of various hard colored rocks (especially rocks consisting of chert or basalt)

   xenolith

   (geology) a piece of rock of different origin from the igneous rock in which it is embedded

   belay

   something to which a mountain climber's rope can be secured

   bladder stone, cystolith

   a calculus formed in the bladder

   crystallite

   any of numerous minute rudimentary crystalline bodies of unknown composition found in glassy igneous rock

   enterolith

   a calculus occurring in the intestines

   bilestone, gallstone

   a calculus formed in the gall bladder or its ducts

   glacial boulder

   a boulder that has been carried by a glacier to a place far distant from its place of origin

   kidney stone, nephrolith, renal calculus, urinary calculus

   a calculus formed in the kidney

   outthrust

   an outcropping of rock that extends outward

   ptyalith

   calculus in a salivary gland

   river boulder

   a boulder that has been carried by a river to a place remote from its place of origin

   shore boulder

   a boulder found on a shore remote from its place of origin

   salivary calculus, sialolith

   a stone formed in the salivary gland

   urolith

   a urinary stone

   type of:

   natural object

   an object occurring naturally; not made by man
3. noun

   (figurative) someone who is strong and stable and dependable
   “he was her rock during the crisis”

   “"Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church"--Gospel According to Matthew”

   type of:

   good person

   a person who is good to other people
4. verb

   move back and forth or sideways
   “the ship was rocking”

   “She rocked back and forth on her feet”

   synonyms: shake, sway

   sway

   cause to move back and forth

   types:

   roll

   move, rock, or sway from side to side

   nutate

   rock, sway, or nod; usually involuntarily

   swag

   sway heavily or unsteadily

   totter

   move without being stable, as if threatening to fall

   type of:

   move back and forth

   move in one direction and then into the opposite direction
5. verb

   cause to move back and forth
   “rock the cradle”

   “rock the baby”

   synonyms: sway

   shake, sway

   move back and forth or sideways

   type of:

   displace, move

   cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
6. noun

   pitching dangerously to one side
   synonyms: careen, sway, tilt

   type of:

   lurch, pitch, pitching

   abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance)
7. noun

   a genre of popular music originating in the 1950s; a blend of black rhythm-and-blues with white country-and-western
   “rock is a generic term for the range of styles that evolved out of rock'n'roll.”

   synonyms: rock 'n' roll, rock and roll, rock music, rock'n'roll, rock-and-roll

   types:

   heavy metal, heavy metal music

   loud and harsh sounding rock music with a strong beat; lyrics usually involve violent or fantastic imagery

   art rock, progressive rock

   a style of rock music that emerged in the 1970s; associated with attempts to combine rock with jazz and other forms; intended for listening and not dancing

   acid rock, psychedelic rock

   a musical style that emerged in the 1960s; rock music inspired by or related to drug-induced experience

   punk, punk rock

   rock music with deliberately offensive lyrics expressing anger and social alienation; in part a reaction against progressive rock

   type of:

   popular music, popular music genre

   any genre of music having wide appeal (but usually only for a short time)
8. noun

   hard bright-colored stick candy (typically flavored with peppermint)
   synonyms: rock candy

   type of:

   candy, confect

   a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts