1195
rodent
'rocket ,scientist n a scientist who designs rockets. People
often use the expression rocket scientist to mean someone
who is extremely intelligent: Obviously the new road will just
generate a lot more traffic – you don't have to be a rocket
scientist to work that out.
Rock-ettes, the /rɒˈketsɪləːrə-/ n [P] a group of women
entertainers at Radio City Music Hall in New York City who
dance, usually while standing in a line across the stage
'rock face n a very steep surface of rock on the side of a
mountain
rock-fall /'rɒkˌfɔːl||'rɑːk-/ n a mass of falling or fallen rocks
'rock ,garden n a ROCKERY
'rock group n a group of people who sing and perform rock
music
rock 'hard adj as hard as a rock
'rock hound n AmE infml 1 a GEOLOGIST 2 a collector of rocks
and minerals
Rock-ies, the /'rɒki:l||'rɑː-/ → see ROCKY MOUNTAINS
'rocking chair also rocker n a chair fitted with ROCKERS so
that it moves backwards and forwards when a person sits in
it → see picture at CHAIR
'rocking horse n a wooden horse for a child to ride on fitted
with ROCKERS so that it moves backwards and forwards
'rock ,music n [U] → see ROCK
Rock-ne, Knute /'rɒkni:l||'rɑːk-, nu:t/ (1888–1931) a US foot-
ball COACH (=someone who trains a team) at the University
of NOTRE DAME in Indiana, who developed new methods of
playing that made his team extremely successful. According
to a well-known story, when one of his players was ill,
Rockne told his team to win the game they were going to
play for the 'Gipper'. Ronald REAGAN appeared as an actor in
a film about Rockne, and later, when he became US presi-
dent, he often used the phrase 'do it for the Gipper'.
rock 'n' roll, rock and roll /ˌrɒk ən 'rəʊl||ˌrɑːk-/ also
rock n [U] a style of music that was popular especially in the
1950s but is still played now, which has a strong loud beat and
is usually played on electrical instruments and repeats a few
simple phrases. It was first made popular by Bill HALEY and
Elvis PRESLEY. → compare POP; see Feature on page A8
Rock of Gi'braltar, the a narrow mountain area on a
PENINSULA (=piece of land surrounded on three sides by
water) in the south of Spain, at the western end of the
Mediterranean Sea. The state of GIBRALTAR is there.
CULTURAL NOTE British people sometimes use the phrase
'like the Rock of Gibraltar' to talk about something that is
so solid and permanent that it will never break or be
destroyed.
rock plant n a plant that grows naturally among rocks and
can be planted in a ROCKERY
rocks /rɒks||rɑːks/ n [P] 1 a line of ROCK under or beside the
sea: The ship was driven onto the rocks during the
storm. 2 on the rocks infml a) in difficulties; likely to fail
soon: The business/Their marriage is on the rocks. b) (of an
alcoholic drink) with ice but no water: Scotch on the rocks
rock 'salmon n [U] BrE (the trade name for) any of several
inexpensive types of fish, such as DOGFISH when sold as food
rock salt n [U] common salt of the type found in mines, not
in the sea
rock 'solid adj very firm and safe: The reserves of the
Building Society are rock solid. | rock solid support
Rock-well, Norman /'rɒkwɛl||'rɑːk-/ (1894–1978) a US artist
famous for his pictures which appeared on the cover of The
Saturday Evening Post. His pictures often show children and
families in ordinary places such as at home, in the country-
side, or in small shops.
rock-y1 /'rɒki:l||'rɑːki/ adj 1 full of rocks or made of rock: a
rocky path up the mountain | rocky soil 2 hard like rock
–iness n [U]
rocky2 adj infml unsteady; not firm: I feel a bit rocky (on my
legs) after that fall. | After the recent problems, the company
faces a rocky road ahead. (=an uncertain future)
Rocky (1976) the first of a series of films in which Sylvester
STALLONE appears as a determined BOXER called Rocky. Four
more films, called Rocky II, Rocky III etc, were made about
the same character.
Rocky and Bull-win-kle /ˌrɒki ænd 'bʊlwɪŋkəl||ˌrɑː-/ the
main characters of a children's CARTOON shown on US
television, especially popular during the 1960s. Rocky is a
clever SQUIRREL who can fly and Bullwinkle is a large MOOSE
who is always doing stupid things. Many young adults also
enjoyed the programme because it included clever jokes
about society and politics, and a lot of PUNS (=jokes using
words that sound similar but have different meanings).
Rocky 'Horror ,Show, The (1973) a humorous British
MUSICAL (=a play that uses singing and dancing to tell a story),
which was made into a film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
(1975), about a young man and woman who arrive at a big
house on a dark night. The house is owned by a strange man
who wears women's sexy underwear and is a crazy scientist,
who is trying to make the perfect man. The film is very popular
with some people, who know all the words and who go to the
cinema or the theatre dressed as their favourite character.
Rocky ,Mountain 'oyster n AmE PRAIRIE OYSTER
Rocky 'Mountains, the also the Rockies a long RANGE
of high mountains in North America which run from Alaska
through Canada down to New Mexico, separating the Mid-
west of the US from the West Coast and forming the
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE → see colour photo on page A43
CULTURAL NOTE The Rocky Mountains is a very popular
place for tourists to visit for camping, walking, climbing,
and Skiing. There are several NATIONAL PARKS in the
Rockies, including Yellowstone National Park and Glacier
National Park. There are also some famous ski RESORTS,
such as Vail in Colorado and Banff in Alberta, Canada.
People in the US think of the Rockies as mainly being in
Canada and the states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming,
Utah, and Colorado.
Rocky ,Mountain ,spotted 'fever n [U] a serious illness
found in areas of the US near the Rocky Mountains. It is
caused by the bite of a TICK (=a small animal like an insect)
which produces fever and pain in the muscles and bones,
and it can cause death if it is not treated.
ro·co·co /rə'kəʊkə/ adj (of buildings, furniture etc) in a
style fashionable in Europe from the late 17th to the 18th
century, with a great deal of curling decoration → compare
BAROQUE
rod /rɒd||rɑːd/ n 1 [often in comb.] a long thin pole or bar of any
firm material such as wood, metal, or plastic, used for
various purposes: a fishing-rod | The piston-rods connect the
pistons to the parts of the engine which they move. | The
concrete walls are reinforced with steel rods. | fuel rods in a
nuclear reactor 2 old-fash a stick used for beating peo-
ple 3 make a rod for one's own back to prepare trouble
for oneself in the future → see also HOT ROD, rule with a rod
of iron (RULE), spare the rod (SPARE)
Rod-dick, A-ni-ta /'rɒdɪk||'rɑː-, ə'ni:tə/ (1942–) a British
businesswoman who started the BODY SHOP, a company
with stores all over the world selling COSMETICS, who is also
known for her interest in protecting the environment
rode /rəʊd/ past tense of RIDE
rodents
beaver
rat
mouse
lemming
squirrel
ro-dent /'rəʊdənt/ n fml or tech a small plant-eating animal