Rockwood Rock"wood` noun (Min.) Ligniform asbestus; also, fossil wood.
Rockwork Rock"work` noun 1. (Architecture) Stonework in which the surface is left broken and rough. 2. (Gardening) A rockery.
Rocky Rock"y adjective 1. Full of, or abounding in, rocks; consisting of rocks; as, a rocky mountain; a rocky shore. 2. Like a rock; as, the rocky orb of a shield. Milton. 3. Fig.: Not easily impressed or affected; hard; unfeeling; obdurate; as, a rocky bosom. Shak. Rocky Mountain locust (Zoology) ,
the Western locust, or grasshopper. See Grasshopper . - -
Rocky Mountain sheep .
(Zoology) See Bighorn .
Rocoa Ro"coa noun [ Confer French
rocou ,
roicou , Portuguese & Braz,
urucú .]
The orange- colored pulp covering the seeds of the tropical plant Bixa Orellana , from which annotto is prepared. See Annoto .
Rococo Ro·co"co noun [ F.; of uncertain etymology.]
A florid style of ornamentation which prevailed in Europe in the latter part of the eighteenth century.
Rococo Ro·co"co adjective Of or pertaining to the style called rococo; like rococo; florid; fantastic.
Rod Rod noun [ The same word as
rood . See
Rood .]
1. A straight and slender stick; a wand; hence, any slender bar, as of wood or metal (applied to various purposes). Specifically:
(a) An instrument of punishment or correction; figuratively, chastisement. He that spareth his rod hateth his son.
Prov. xiii. 24. (b) A kind of sceptor, or badge of office; hence, figuratively, power; authority; tyranny; oppression. "The
rod , and bird of peace."
Shak. (c) A support for a fishing line; a fish pole. Gay. (d) (Mach. & Structure) A member used in tension, as for sustaining a suspended weight, or in tension and compression, as for transmitting reciprocating motion, etc.; a connecting bar. (e) An instrument for measuring. 2. A measure of length containing sixteen and a half feet; -- called also perch , and pole . Black rod .
See in the Vocabulary. --
Rods and cones (Anat.) ,
the elongated cells or elements of the sensory layer of the retina, some of which are cylindrical, others somewhat conical.
Roddy Rod"dy adjective Full of rods or twigs.
Roddy Rod"dy adjective Ruddy. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Rode Rode noun [ See
Rud .]
Redness; complexion. [ Obsolete] "His
rode was red."
Chaucer.
Rode Rode imperfect of Ride .
Rode Rode noun See Rood , the cross. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Rodent Ro"dent adjective [ Latin
rodens ,
- entis , present participle of
rodere to gnaw. See
Rase ,
transitive verb , and confer
Rostrum .]
1. Gnawing; biting; corroding; (Medicine) applied to a destructive variety of cancer or ulcer. 2. (Zoology) (a) Gnawing. (b) Of or pertaining to the Rodentia.
Rodent Ro"dent noun (Zoology) One of the Rodentia.
Rodentia Ro·den"ti·a noun plural [ New Latin See
Rodent ,
adjective ]
(Zoology) An order of mammals having two (rarely four) large incisor teeth in each jaw, distant from the molar teeth. The rats, squirrels, rabbits, marmots, and beavers belong to this order. » The incisor teeth are long, curved, and strongly enameled on the outside, so as to keep a cutting edge. They have a persistent pulp and grow continuously.
Rodeo Ro·de"o noun [ SP., a going round.]
A round-up. See Round-up . [ Western U.S.]
Rodge Rodge noun (Zoology) The gadwall. [ Prov. Eng.]
Rodomel Rod"o·mel noun [ Greek ......... rose + ......... honey.]
Juice of roses mixed with honey. Simmonds.
Rodomont Rod"o·mont noun [ French
rodomont , Italian
rodomonte , from
Rodomonte ,
Rodamonte , a boasting hero in the "Orlando Furioso" of Ariosto, and the "Orlando Innamorato" of Bojardo; properly, one who rolls away mountains; Prov. Italian
rodare to roll away (fr. Latin
rota a wheel) + Italian
monte a mountain, Latin
mons . See
Rotary ,
Mount ,
noun ]
A vain or blustering boaster; a braggart; a braggadocio. Sir T. Herbert.
Rodomont Rod"o·mont adjective Bragging; vainly boasting.
Rodomontade Rod`o·mon·tade" noun [ French, from Italian
rodomontana . See
Rodomont ,
noun ]
Vain boasting; empty bluster or vaunting; rant. I could show that the rodomontades of Almanzor are neither so irrational nor impossible.
Dryden.
Rodomontade Rod`o·mon·tade" intransitive verb To boast; to brag; to bluster; to rant.
Rodomontadist Rod`o·mon·tad"ist noun One who boasts.
Rodomontado Rod`o·mon·ta"do noun Rodomontade.
Rodomontador Rod`o·mon·ta"dor noun A rodomontadist.
Rodsman Rods"man noun ;
plural Rodsmen One who carries and holds a leveling staff, or rod, in a surveying party. G. W. Cable.
Rody Ro"dy adjective Ruddy. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Roe Roe noun [ Middle English
ro , Anglo-Saxon
rāh ; akin to Dutch
ree , German
reh , Icelandic
rā , SW.
rå .]
(Zoology) (a) A roebuck. See Roebuck . (b) The female of any species of deer.
Roe Roe noun [ For
roan , Middle English
rowne , akin to German
rogen , Old High German
rogan , Icelandic
hrogn , Danish
rogn ,
ravn , Swedish
rom ; of uncertain origin; confer Greek ......... pebble, Sanskrit
...arkarā gravel.]
1. (Zoology) The ova or spawn of fishes and amphibians, especially when still inclosed in the ovarian membranes. Sometimes applied, loosely, to the sperm and the testes of the male. 2. A mottled appearance of light and shade in wood, especially in mahogany.
Roe, Richard Roe, Richard (Law) A fictious name for a party, real or fictious, to an act or proceeding. Other names were formerly similarly used, as John-a-Nokes , John o' , or of the , Nokes , or Noakes , John-a-Stiles , etc.
Roebuck Roe"buck` noun [ 1st
roe +
buck .]
(Zoology) A small European and Asiatic deer ( Capreolus caprĉa ) having erect, cylindrical, branched antlers, forked at the summit. This, the smallest European deer, is very nimble and graceful. It always prefers a mountainous country, or high grounds.
Roed Roed adjective (Zoology) Filled with roe.
Roedeer Roe"deer` noun (Zoology) The roebuck.
Roestone Roe"stone` noun (Min.) Same as Oölite .
Rogation Ro·ga"tion noun [ Latin
rogatio , from
rogare ,
rogatum , to ask, beg, supplicate: confer French
rogation . Confer
Abrogate ,
Arrogant ,
Probogue .]
1. (Rom. Antiq.) The demand, by the consuls or tribunes, of a law to be passed by the people; a proposed law or decree. 2. (Eccl.) Litany; supplication. He perfecteth the rogations or litanies before in use.
Hooker. Rogation days (Eccl.) ,
the three days which immediately precede Ascension Day ; -- so called as being days on which the people, walking in procession, sang litanies of special supplication. --
Rogation flower (Botany) ,
a European species of milkwort ( Polygala vulgaris ); -- so called from its former use for garlands in Rogation week. Dr. Prior. --
Rogation week ,
the second week before Whitsunday, in which the Rogation days occur.
Rogatory Rog"a·to·ry adjective [ See
Rogation .]
Seeking information; authorized to examine witnesses or ascertain facts; as, a rogatory commission. Woolsey.
Roger Rog"er noun [ From a proper name
Roger .]
A black flag with white skull and crossbones, formerly used by pirates; -- called also Jolly Roger .
Rogue Rogue noun [ French
rogue proud, haughty, supercilious; confer Icelandic
hr...kr a rook, croaker (cf.
Rook a bird), or Armor.
rok ,
rog , proud, arogant.]
1. (Eng.Law) A vagrant; an idle, sturdy beggar; a vagabond; a tramp. » The phrase
rogues and vagabonds is applied to a large class of wandering, disorderly, or dissolute persons. They were formerly punished by being whipped and having the gristle of the right ear bored with a hot iron.
2. A deliberately dishonest person; a knave; a cheat. The rogue and fool by fits is fair and wise.
Pope. 3. One who is pleasantly mischievous or frolicsome; hence, often used as a term of endearment. Ah, you sweet little rogue , you!
Shak. 4. An elephant that has separated from a herd and roams about alone, in which state it is very savage. 5. (Hort.) A worthless plant occuring among seedlings of some choice variety. Rogues' gallery ,
a collection of portraits of rogues or criminals, for the use of the police authorities. --
Rogue's march ,
derisive music performed in driving away a person under popular indignation or official sentence, as when a soldier is drummed out of a regiment. --
Rogue's yarn ,
yarn of a different twist and color from the rest, inserted into the cordage of the British navy, to identify it if stolen, or for the purpose of tracing the maker in case of defect. Different makers are required to use yarns of different colors.
Rogue Rogue intransitive verb To wander; to play the vagabond; to play knavish tricks. [ Obsolete]
Spenser.
Rogue Rogue transitive verb 1. To give the name or designation of rogue to; to decry. [ Obsolete]
Cudworth. 2. (Hort.) To destroy (plants that do not come up to a required standard).
Roguery Rogu"er·y noun 1. The life of a vargant. [ Obsolete]
2. The practices of a rogue; knavish tricks; cheating; fraud; dishonest practices. 'Tis no scandal grown,
For debt and roguery to quit the town.
Dryden. 3. Arch tricks; mischievousness.
Rogueship Rogue"ship noun The quality or state of being a rogue. [ Jocose] "Your
rogueship ."
Dryden.
Roguish Rogu"ish adjective 1. Vagrant. [ Obsolete]
Spenser. His roguish madness
Allows itself to anything.
Shak. 2. Resembling, or characteristic of, a rogue; knavish. 3. Pleasantly mischievous; waggish; arch. The most bewitching leer with her eyes, the most roguish cast.
Dryden. --
Rogu"ish*ly ,
adverb --
Rogu"ish*ness ,
noun
Roguy Rogu"y adjective Roguish. [ Obsolete]
L'Estrange.
Rohob Ro"hob noun An inspissated juice. See Rob .
Roial Roi"al adjective Royal. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer.
Roil Roil transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Roiled ;
present participle & verbal noun Roiling .] [ Confer Middle English
roilen to wander; possibly from Old French
roeler to roll, equiv. to French
rouler . See
Roll ,
v. , and confer
Rile .]
1. To render turbid by stirring up the dregs or sediment of; as, to roil wine, cider, etc. , in casks or bottles; to roil a spring. 2. To disturb, as the temper; to ruffle the temper of; to rouse the passion of resentment in; to perplex. That his friends should believe it, was what roiled him [ Judge Jeffreys] exceedingly.
R. North. » Provincial in England and colloquial in the United States. A commoner, but less approved, form is
rile .
Roil Roil intransitive verb 1. To wander; to roam. [ Obsolete]
2. To romp. [ Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Roily Roil"y adjective Turbid; as, roily water.
Roin Roin transitive verb See Royne . [ Obsolete]