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rook
poetry, literature, art, and music) a group of writers, artists etc
who followed their feelings and emotions rather than LOGI-
CAL thought or reason, and who preferred wild natural
beauty to things made by man. It first became popular in
the late 18th century. -> see ROMANTICISM
**Ro·ma·ny** /'rəʊmənɪl'ra:-/ **n** 1 [C] a GIPSY 2 [U] the lan-
guage of the GIPSY people
**Rome** /rəʊm/ **1** the capital city of Italy, which is famous for
its art, its history, and its many public and religious buildings
from ancient times and the RENAISSANCE. It also contains the
VATICAN CITY, a separate state where the Pope lives. According
to ancient Roman stories, the city was established in 753 BC
by ROMULUS AND REMUS, and it later became the capital city
of the ROMAN EMPIRE. -> see also ROMAN **2** Rome wasn't
built in a day a phrase meaning that it takes time to achieve
something important, or you should not expect to succeed
immediately **3** When in Rome (, do as the Romans do) a
phrase meaning that when you are in a different place you
should behave like the people who live there -> see also to
fiddle while Rome burns (FIDDLE)
**Ro·me·o** /'rəʊmɪəʊ/ **n** **1** the main male character in the play
ROMEO AND JULIET by William SHAKESPEARE **2** a humorous
name for a man who tries to attract all the women he meets
in a sexual way: *the office Romeo*
**Romeo and Juliet** one of William SHAKESPEARE's best-
known plays, a sad romantic story about two young people,
Romeo and Juliet, who fall in love although their families
are great enemies. They marry secretly, but are prevented
from being together, and finally they both kill themselves.
They are considered to be typical examples of unlucky
young lovers, and many phrases from the play are well
known, especially 'Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou
Romeo?', which Juliet says while she is standing on a
BALCONY and Romeo is below her in the garden. -> see also
CAPULETS AND MONTAGUES, WEST SIDE STORY; see Feature
on page A26
**Rom·mel, Field Marshal** /'rɒməlɪl'rɑ:-/ (1891-1944) a Ger-
man military leader in World War II who was known as the
Desert Fox, and who won important battles in North Africa
and Egypt, but was defeated by MONTGOMERY at EL ALAMEIN
in 1942. It was part of a secret plan to kill Hitler, and when
this failed he killed himself.
**romp** /rɒmpɔl'ra:mp/ **v** [I(ABOUT, AROUND)] **1** to play noisily and
roughly with a lot of running and jumping: *We could hear*
*the children romping (about) upstairs.* **2** romp home (espe-
cially of an animal) to win a race easily: *The favourite*
*romped home.*
**romp through** phr v [T] BrE infml to succeed in, quickly and
without effort: *She simply romped through her exams.*
**romp** **n** **1** an occasion of romping **2** infml a piece of amusing
entertainment with plenty of action: *The new film is an*
*enjoyable romp, but with no intellectual content.*
**Romper, Room** a television programme for young children
in the US. It involves a group of children who play and learn
things from a woman whose name always begins with
'Miss', such as 'Miss Nancy' or 'Miss Sharon'.
**romp·ers** /'rɒmpəzɔl'ra:m pərz/ also **romper suit** **n** [P] a
one-piece garment for babies combining a top and short
trouser-like bottom: *a pair of rompers*
**Rom·u·lus and Re·mus** /,rɒmjʊləs ənd 'ri:məsɔl ,ra:m-/
in ancient Roman stories, the two brothers who established
the city of Rome. Romulus and Remus were TWINS (=two
children born at the same time) who were left to die when
they were babies. They were taken care of by a WOLF (=a wild
animal like a large dog), who fed them with her milk. Later,
when they had started to build the city of Rome, Romulus
killed Remus after a quarrel.
**Ro·nal·do** /rə'nældəʊl-'na:-/ (1976-) a Brazilian football
player, considered to be one of the best in the world. He has
played for many leading football clubs, including Barcelona,
Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Brazilian national football
teams. He was named world player of the year in 1996,
1997, and 2002.
**Ro·nay, E·gon** /'rəʊneɪ, 'i:gɒnl-ɔ:n/ (1920-) a British CHEF
(=a skilled cook in a hotel or restaurant) who was born in
Hungary, and who is known for his restaurant GUIDES which
give information about the best restaurants in the UK
**ron·do** /'rɒndəʊl'ra:n-/ **n** pl. **-dos** a piece of music that
repeats the main tune several times, and may sometimes form
part of a longer musical work such as a CONCERTO
**Ron·nie Scott's** ,rəni 'skɒtsɔl ,ra:ni 'ska:ts/ a JAZZ club in
London which was started by Ronnie SCOTT in 1959, and is
famous because many popular and well-known jazz musi-
cians perform there
**Ron·stadt, Lin·da** /'rɒnstætl'ra:n-, 'lɪndə/ (1946-) a US
singer whose songs include *When Will I Be Loved* and *It's So*
*Easy*. She is known for singing in many different musical
styles.
**rönt·gen, Röntgen** /'rɒntgənl'rentgən/ **adj, n** -> see
ROENTGEN
**rood** /ru:d/ **n** old use or tech a Christian cross or CRUCIFIX, usually
in a church
**'rood screen** **n** a wooden or stone decorative wall in a
Christian church which divides the part containing the sing-
ers (CHOIR) from the part where the other worshippers sit
roof
chimney
roof
skylight
aerial/antenna AmE
gable
dormer
window
gutter
**roof** /ru:fɪl'ru:f, rʊf/ **n** **1** the outside covering on top of a
building, closed vehicle, tent etc: *The rain's coming in - the*
*roof must be leaking.* | *She carries her sailboard on the roof of*
*her car.* | *roof tiles* | *a thatched roof* | *She and I can't live*
*under the same roof.* (=in the same house) -> compare
CEILING and see picture at CAR **2** a/no roof over one's head
somewhere/nowhere to live: *I may not have a job, but at least*
*I've got a roof over my head.* **3** go through the roof infml **a)**
(of a price) to rise to a very high level **b)** to express great
anger **4** hit the roof infml to express great anger: *Dad will hit*
*the roof when he finds out you've taken the car without asking*
*first.* **5** raise the roof AmE infml to complain loudly: *If I don't*
*get my money back on this piece of worthless junk I'll raise the*
*roof!* **6** the roof of one's mouth the bony upper part of the
inside of the mouth
**roof** **v** [T(with)] to put a roof on or be a roof for: *a house roofed*
*with slates*
**roof sthg.** <-> **in/over** phr v [T] to enclose by putting a roof
on (an open place): *We're going to roof in the yard to make a*
*garage.*
**'roof ,garden** **n** a garden on a flat roof
**roof·ing** /'ru:fɪŋl'ru:f-, 'rʊf-/ **n** [U] material for making or
covering roofs
**'roofing ,felt** **n** [U] material which is unrolled over supports
to make a cheap roof that does not last many years. It is used
on flat-roofed additions to houses and on SHEDS.
**roof·less** /'ru:fləsɪl'ru:f-, 'rʊf-/ **adj** with no roof
**'roof rack** **n** a metal frame fixed on top of a car roof, for
carrying things
**roof·top** /'ru:ftɒpɪl'ru:ftɑ:p, 'rʊf-/ **n** a roof -> see also shout
something from the rooftops (SHOUT)
**rook** /rʊk/ **n** a large black European bird like a CROW
**rook** also **castle** **n** (in the game of CHESS) a piece that can
move any number of squares but only in a straight line
parallel to a side of the board -> see picture at CHESSMAN