Rockwork noun
1. (Architecture) Stonework in which the surface is left broken and rough.

2. (Gardening) A rockery.

Rocky 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 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 noun [ F.; of uncertain etymology.] A florid style of ornamentation which prevailed in Europe in the latter part of the eighteenth century.

Rococo adjective Of or pertaining to the style called rococo; like rococo; florid; fantastic.

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 adjective Full of rods or twigs.

Roddy adjective Ruddy. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Rode noun [ See Rud .] Redness; complexion. [ Obsolete] "His rode was red." Chaucer.

Rode imperfect of Ride .

Rode noun See Rood , the cross. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Rodent 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 noun (Zoology) One of the Rodentia.

Rodentia 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 noun [ SP., a going round.] A round-up. See Round-up . [ Western U.S.]

Rodge noun (Zoology) The gadwall. [ Prov. Eng.]

Rodomel noun [ Greek ......... rose + ......... honey.] Juice of roses mixed with honey. Simmonds.

Rodomont 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 adjective Bragging; vainly boasting.

Rodomontade 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 intransitive verb To boast; to brag; to bluster; to rant.

Rodomontadist noun One who boasts.

Rodomontado noun Rodomontade.

Rodomontador noun A rodomontadist.

Rodsman noun ; plural Rodsmen One who carries and holds a leveling staff, or rod, in a surveying party. G. W. Cable.

Rody adjective Ruddy. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

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 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 (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 noun [ 1st roe + buck .] (Zoology) A small European and Asiatic deer ( Capreolus capræa ) 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 adjective (Zoology) Filled with roe.

Roedeer noun (Zoology) The roebuck.

Roestone noun (Min.) Same as Oölite .

Rogation 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 adjective [ See Rogation .] Seeking information; authorized to examine witnesses or ascertain facts; as, a rogatory commission. Woolsey.

Roger noun [ From a proper name Roger .] A black flag with white skull and crossbones, formerly used by pirates; -- called also Jolly Roger .

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 intransitive verb To wander; to play the vagabond; to play knavish tricks. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

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 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 noun The quality or state of being a rogue. [ Jocose] "Your rogueship ." Dryden.

Roguish 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 adjective Roguish. [ Obsolete] L'Estrange.

Rohob noun An inspissated juice. See Rob .

Roial adjective Royal. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

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 intransitive verb
1. To wander; to roam. [ Obsolete]

2. To romp. [ Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Roily adjective Turbid; as, roily water.

Roin transitive verb See Royne . [ Obsolete]

Roin noun [ French rogne . See Roynish .] A scab; a scurf, or scurfy spot. [ Obsolete]