Rock

See also: rock and röck

English

Etymology

• As an English surname, from the noun rock. Compare Roach.
• Also as an English surname, misdivision of Middle English atter oke (“at the oak”). Compare Nock.
• As an English occupational surname, from Old Norse rokkr (“distaff”). Compare Rocker.
• As an Irish surname, translated from names like Mac Conchairge (“son of the hound of the rock”), from cú + carraig, see also McHarg.
• As a German surname Röck, variant of the personal name Rocco, see Roche.
• Also as a German surname, from the noun Rock (“skirt gown”).
• As a French surname, shortened from Roquebrune, Rocquebrune (see Rocque) or Larock.

Compare Roch.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Proper noun

Rock

1. A topographic surname from Middle English for someone living near a rock or an oak ( atter + oke ).
2. A male given name transferred from the surname.
3. A number of places in England:
   1. A coastal village in St Minver Lowlands parish, north Cornwall (OS grid ref SW9375).
   2. A hamlet in Membury parish, East Devon district, Devon (OS grid ref ST2702).
   3. A village in Rennington parish, northern Northumberland (OS grid ref NU2020).
   4. A hamlet in Curry Mallet parish, South Somerset district and North Curry parish, Somerset West and Taunton district, Somerset (OS grid ref ST3222).
   5. A hamlet in Washington parish, Horsham district, West Sussex (OS grid ref TQ1214).
   6. A village and civil parish in Wyre Forest district, Worcestershire (OS grid ref SO7371).
4. A place in Wales:
   1. A hamlet in Blackwood community, Caerphilly county borough (OS grid ref ST1898).
   2. A hamlet north-east of Cwmavon, Neath Port Talbot county borough (OS grid ref SS7993).
5. The Rock, a village south-west of Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
6. A number of places in the United States:
   1. An unincorporated community in Cowley County, Kansas.
   2. An unincorporated community in Maple Ridge Township, Delta County, Michigan.
   3. An unincorporated community in Mercer County, West Virginia.
   4. A town in Rock County, Wisconsin.
   5. A town in Wood County, Wisconsin.
   6. A number of townships in the United States, listed under Rock Township.
7. the Rock
   1. (preceded by "the" or "The") Nickname of Gibraltar.
   2. (Australia, preceded by "the" or "The") Nickname of Uluru.
   3. (preceded by "the" or "The") Nickname of the prison on Alcatraz Island, USA.
   4. (Canada, preceded by "the" or "The") Nickname of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Usage notes

• The given name is rare, but had some vogue in the 1950s due to an American film star named Rock Hudson.
• When used as a nickname for Gibraltar, Alcatraz prison, or Newfoundland, the preceding the is often capitalized.

See also

• rock
• Rock Ferry
• the Rock
• The Rock

 

Anagrams

• Cork, Kroc, cork

German

Etymology 1

From Middle High German roc, from Old High German roc, from Proto-West Germanic *hrokk, from Proto-Germanic *hrukkaz, from Proto-Indo-European *rukn-, *ruk-, *rug-, *ruǵ- (“to spin”); or perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *kreḱ- (“to weave”). Doublet of Frack.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɔk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Rock m (strong, genitive Rockes or Rocks, plural Röcke, diminutive Röckchen n or Röcklein n)

1. skirt (garment)
2. (regional) (men's) jacket
3. (Switzerland) dress

Declension

Declension of Rock [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Rock	die	Röcke
genitive	eines	des	Rockes, Rocks	der	Röcke
dative	einem	dem	Rock, Rocke1	den	Röcken
accusative	einen	den	Rock	die	Röcke

¹Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms

• Latexrock
• Minirock
• Morgenrock
• Reifrock
• Schlafrock
• Unterrock

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English rock.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁɔk/ (standard)

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ɹɔk/ (less commonly, approximating English pronunciation)

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Rock m (strong, genitive Rocks, no plural)

1. rock (style of music)

Declension

Declension of Rock [sg-only, masculine, strong]

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Rock
genitive	eines	des	Rocks
dative	einem	dem	Rock
accusative	einen	den	Rock

Further reading

• “Rock” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Rock” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Rock” in Duden online
• Rock on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

Hunsrik

Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German roc, from Proto-Germanic *hrukkaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rok/

Noun

Rock m (plural Reck, diminutive Reckche or Reckelche)

1. skirt

Further reading

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German roc, from Proto-Germanic *hrukkaz. Cognate with German Rock, Dutch rok, Icelandic rokkur.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʀok/

Noun

Rock m (plural Réck)

1. skirt

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Middle High German roc, from Old High German roc(h), from Proto-Germanic *rukkaz. Compare German Rock.

Noun

Rock m (plural Reck)

1. coat

Plautdietsch

Etymology

From Middle Low German rock, from Old Saxon *hrokk, from Proto-Germanic *rukkaz.

Noun

Rock m (plural Rakj)

1. skirt