v. i. 1. To move or be moved backward and forward; to be violently agitated; to reel; to totter. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rocking town
Supplants their footsteps. J. Philips . [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To roll or saway backward and forward upon a support; as, to rock in a rocking-chair. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. roke, F. roche; cf. Armor. roc'h, and AS. rocc. ] 1. A large concreted mass of stony material; a large fixed stone or crag. See Stone. [ 1913 Webster ]

Come one, come all! this rock shall fly
From its firm base as soon as I. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Geol.) Any natural deposit forming a part of the earth's crust, whether consolidated or not, including sand, earth, clay, etc., when in natural beds. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which resembles a rock in firmness; a defense; a support; a refuge. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress. 2 Sam. xxii. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Fig.: Anything which causes a disaster or wreck resembling the wreck of a vessel upon a rock. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Zool.) The striped bass. See under Bass. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This word is frequently used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, rock-bound, rock-built, rock-ribbed, rock-roofed, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rock alum. [ Probably so called by confusion with F. roche a rock. ] Same as Roche alum. --
Rock barnacle (Zool.), a barnacle (Balanus balanoides) very abundant on rocks washed by tides. --
Rock bass. (Zool.) (a) The stripped bass. See under Bass. (b) The goggle-eye. (c) The cabrilla. Other species are also locally called rock bass. --
Rock builder (Zool.), any species of animal whose remains contribute to the formation of rocks, especially the corals and Foraminifera. --
Rock butter (Min.), native alum mixed with clay and oxide of iron, usually in soft masses of a yellowish white color, occuring in cavities and fissures in argillaceous slate. --
Rock candy, a form of candy consisting of crystals of pure sugar which are very hard, whence the name. --
Rock cavy. (Zool.) See Moco. --
Rock cod (Zool.) (a) A small, often reddish or brown, variety of the cod found about rocks andledges. (b) A California rockfish. --
Rock cook. (Zool.) (a) A European wrasse (Centrolabrus exoletus). (b) A rockling. --
Rock cork (Min.), a variety of asbestus the fibers of which are loosely interlaced. It resembles cork in its texture. --
Rock crab (Zool.), any one of several species of large crabs of the genus C, as the two species of the New England coast (Cancer irroratus and Cancer borealis). See Illust. under Cancer. --
Rock cress (Bot.), a name of several plants of the cress kind found on rocks, as Arabis petraea, Arabis lyrata, etc. --
Rock crystal (Min.), limpid quartz. See Quartz, and under Crystal. --
Rock dove (Zool.), the rock pigeon; -- called also rock doo. --
Rock drill, an implement for drilling holes in rock; esp., a machine impelled by steam or compressed air, for drilling holes for blasting, etc. --
Rock duck (Zool.), the harlequin duck. --
Rock eel. (Zool.) See Gunnel. --
Rock goat (Zool.), a wild goat, or ibex. --
Rock hopper (Zool.), a penguin of the genus Catarractes. See under Penguin. --
Rock kangaroo. (Zool.) See Kangaroo, and Petrogale. --
Rock lobster (Zool.), any one of several species of large spinose lobsters of the genera Panulirus and Palinurus. They have no large claws. Called also spiny lobster, and sea crayfish. --
Rock meal (Min.), a light powdery variety of calcite occuring as an efflorescence. --
Rock milk. (Min.) See Agaric mineral, under Agaric. --
Rock moss, a kind of lichen; the cudbear. See Cudbear. --
Rock oil. See Petroleum. --
Rock parrakeet (Zool.), a small Australian parrakeet (Euphema petrophila), which nests in holes among the rocks of high cliffs. Its general color is yellowish olive green; a frontal band and the outer edge of the wing quills are deep blue, and the central tail feathers bluish green. --
Rock pigeon (Zool.), the wild pigeon (Columba livia) Of Europe and Asia, from which the domestic pigeon was derived. See Illust. under Pigeon. --
Rock pipit. (Zool.) See the Note under Pipit. --
Rock plover. (Zool.) (a) The black-bellied, or whistling, plover. (b) The rock snipe. --
Rock ptarmigan (Zool.), an arctic American ptarmigan (Lagopus rupestris), which in winter is white, with the tail and lores black. In summer the males are grayish brown, coarsely vermiculated with black, and have black patches on the back. --
Rock rabbit (Zool.), the hyrax. See Cony, and Daman. --
Rock ruby (Min.), a fine reddish variety of garnet. --
Rock salt (Min.), cloride of sodium (common salt) occuring in rocklike masses in mines; mineral salt; salt dug from the earth. In the United States this name is sometimes given to salt in large crystals, formed by evaporation from sea water in large basins or cavities. --
Rock seal (Zool.), the harbor seal. See Seal. --
Rock shell (Zool.), any species of Murex, Purpura, and allied genera. --
Rock snake (Zool.), any one of several large pythons; as, the royal rock snake (Python regia) of Africa, and the rock snake of India (Python molurus). The Australian rock snakes mostly belong to the allied genus Morelia. --
Rock snipe (Zool.), the purple sandpiper (Tringa maritima); -- called also rock bird, rock plover, winter snipe. --
Rock soap (Min.), a kind of clay having a smooth, greasy feel, and adhering to the tongue. --
Rock sparrow. (Zool.) (a) Any one of several species of Old World sparrows of the genus Petronia, as Petronia stulla, of Europe. (b) A North American sparrow (Pucaea ruficeps). --
Rock tar, petroleum. --
Rock thrush (Zool.), any Old World thrush of the genus Monticola, or Petrocossyphus; as, the European rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis), and the blue rock thrush of India (Monticola cyaneus), in which the male is blue throughout. --
Rock tripe (Bot.), a kind of lichen (Umbilicaria Dillenii) growing on rocks in the northen parts of America, and forming broad, flat, coriaceous, dark fuscous or blackish expansions. It has been used as food in cases of extremity. --
Rock trout (Zool.), any one of several species of marine food fishes of the genus Hexagrammus, family Chiradae, native of the North Pacific coasts; -- called also sea trout, boregat, bodieron, and starling. --
Rock warbler (Zool.), a small Australian singing bird (Origma rubricata) which frequents rocky ravines and water courses; -- called also cataract bird. --
Rock wren (Zool.), any one of several species of wrens of the genus Salpinctes, native of the arid plains of Lower California and Mexico. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Roc. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Rocked p. pr. & vb. n. Rocking. ] [ AS. roccian; akin to Dan. rokke to move, to snake; cf. Icel. rukkja to pull, move, G. rücken to move, push, pull. ] 1. To cause to sway backward and forward, as a body resting on a support beneath; as, to rock a cradle or chair; to cause to vibrate; to cause to reel or totter. [ 1913 Webster ]

A rising earthquake rocked the ground. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To move as in a cradle; hence, to put to sleep by rocking; to still; to quiet. “Sleep rock thy brain.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Rock differs from shake, as denoting a slower, less violent, and more uniform motion, or larger movements. It differs from swing, which expresses a vibratory motion of something suspended. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. rocke; akin to D. rok, rokken, G. rocken, OHG. roccho, Dan. rok, Icel. rokkr. Cf. Rocket a firework. ] A distaff used in spinning; the staff or frame about which flax is arranged, and from which the thread is drawn in spinning. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sad Clotho held the rocke, the whiles the thread
By grisly Lachesis was spun with pain,
That cruel Atropos eftsoon undid. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Probably from Rockaway beach, where it was used. ] Formerly, a light, low, four-wheeled carriage, with standing top, open at the sides, but having waterproof curtains which could be let down when occasion required; now, a somewhat similar, but heavier, carriage, inclosed, except in front, and having a door at each side. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who rocks; specifically, one who rocks a cradle. [ 1913 Webster ]

It was I, sir, said the rocker, who had the honor, some thirty years since, to attend on your highness in your infancy. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One of the curving pieces of wood or metal on which a cradle, chair, etc., rocks. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Any implement or machine working with a rocking motion, as a trough mounted on rockers for separating gold dust from gravel, etc., by agitation in water. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A play horse on rockers; a rocking-horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A chair mounted on rockers; a rocking-chair. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A skate with a curved blade, somewhat resembling in shape the rocker of a cradle. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Mach.) Same as Rock shaft. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rocker arm (Mach.), an arm borne by a rock shaft. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Naut.) Shaped like a rocker; curved; as, a rockered keel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Gardening) A mound formed of fragments of rock, earth, etc., and set with plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ It. rocchetta, fr. rocca a distaff, of German origin. Named from the resemblance in shape to a distaff. See Rock a distaff. ] 1. An artificial firework consisting of a cylindrical case of paper or metal filled with a composition of combustible ingredients, as niter, charcoal, and sulphur, and fastened to a guiding stick. The rocket is projected through the air by the force arising from the expansion of the gases liberated by combustion of the composition. Rockets are used as projectiles for various purposes, for signals, and also for pyrotechnic display. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A blunt lance head used in the joust. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. any flying device propelled by the reactive force of hot gases expelled in the direction opposite its motion. The fuel used to generate the expelled gases in rockets may be solid or liquid; rockets propelled by liquid fuels typically have a combustible fuel (such as hydrogen or kerosene) which is combined inside the rocket engine with an oxidizer, such as liquid oxygen. Single liquid fuels (called monopropellants) are also known. Since rocket engines do not depend on a surrounding fluid medium to generate their thrust, as do airplanes with propellers or jet engines, they may be used for propulsion in the vacuum of space. [ PJC ]

Congreve rocket, a powerful form of rocket for use in war, invented by Sir William Congreve. It may be used either in the field or for bombardment; in the former case, it is armed with shells or case shot; in the latter, with a combustible material inclosed in a metallic case, which is inextinguishable when kindled, and scatters its fire on every side. [ 1913 Webster ]