▪ I. rollick, n.
(ˈrɒlɪk)
[f. rollick v.]
1. Exuberant gaiety or joviality; a very gay and jovial tone.
| 1856 Titan Mag. Nov. 403 The heat, the draughts, the bustle, rollick—all The genteel pleasures of a country ball. 1866 Pall Mall G. No. 446. 141/2 An unreal rollick in his voice and manner. 1886 Macm. Mag. Apr. 420 This snatch,..in its mixture of sentiment, truth, and what may be excusably called ‘rollick’, is very characteristic of its author. |
2. A sportive frolic or escapade.
| 1876 J. Ellis Cæsar in Egypt 309 Off for a rollick—sweeter by stealth! 1883 J. Parker Tyne Chylde 7 Once my life was a child's rollick, half trick, half dream. 1897 ‘F. Anstey’ Trav. Comp. ii, Culd. We might take a turn later on, and see the effect of St. Gudule in the moonlight. Podb. Something like a rollick that! |
▪ II. rollick, v.
(ˈrɒlɪk)
Also dial. rollo(c)k.
[Of obscure origin.]
intr. To frolic, sport, or romp, in a joyous, careless fashion; to go off, move along, enter, etc., in this manner.
| 1826 Scott Jrnl. 2 Aug., Instead of writing me one other page.., you rollick into the woods till you have not a dry thread about you. 1854 A. E. Baker Northampt. Gloss., Rollock, to romp about rudely. 1878 J. T. Fields in Life & Lett. B. Taylor I. iv. 76 We rollicked along into Washington Street. 1888 Pall Mall G. 28 Sept. 3/2 ‘Q.’ appears as a rollicking humourist... He rollicks, perhaps, a little too laboriously. |
b. transf. of things or animals.
| a 1837 J. Clare in N. & Q. 9th Ser. XI. 177/1 The wind is rollicking about to-day. Wild, but not stormy. 1846 T. B. Thorpe Myst. Backwoods 13 Mounted by a rider..he [the mustang pony] goes rollicking ahead. 1853 Kingsley Hypatia xxix, The shrieks of his lute rose shrill..and rollicked on swifter and swifter as the old singer maddened. |
c. To revel joyously in something.
| 1865 G. Meredith R. Fleming xxix, There was something desperately amusing to him in the thought that he had not even money enough to..provide for a repast. He rollicked in his present poverty. |
Hence ˈrollicker.
| 1893 Columbus (Ohio) Disp. 19 Oct., It is the same..with the ragged, hungry little folk of the western isles as with the romping rollickers of Glasgow. |