▪ I. rook, n.1
(rʊk)
Forms: α. 1 hrooc, hroc, roc, 3 rok, 3–6 roke, 5–7 rooke, 5– rook. β. Sc. (and north.) 5–6 ruke, 6 reuk, rwik, 6–7 ruik(e.
[OE. hróc, = MDu. roec, roek-, rouc, rouk- (Du. and Fris. roek), MLG. rôk, rook (LG. rok, roke, rauk, rauke), ON. hrókr (obs. Da. rog), OHG. hruoh (MHG. ruoch, G. ruch); cf. also MSw. roka, Sw. råka, Da. raage. The name may be of imitative origin.]
1. A black, raucous-voiced European and Asiatic bird (Corvus frugilegus), nesting in colonies; one of the commonest of the crow-tribe, and in the north of Britain usually called a crow.
The equation, in OE. and ME. glosses, with L. graculus (grallus), jackdaw, is probably inexact.
| α c 725 Corpus Gloss. G. 154 Grallus, hrooc. c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives I. 492 Ðær fluᵹ on sona to hrocas and hremmas. a 1250 Owl & Night. 1130 Golfinc, rok, ne crowe, ne dar þar neuer cumen i-hende. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 437/196 Blake foule huy seiȝe, Ase it crowene and rokes weren, fleon bi þe Eyr wel heiȝe. c 1340 Nominale (Skeat) 792 Roke, Rauen, and goldefynch. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame ii. 1516 The halle was al ful y-wys Of hem..As ben on trees rokes nestes. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 17214 The Gregais wol not hir bodi grauen, But let hit ligge to roke & rauen. 1486 Bk. St. Albans d ij, That hawke that will slee a Roke or a Crow or a Reuyn. a 1529 Skelton P. Sparowe 462 The roke, with the ospraye That putteth fysshes to a fraye. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 915 When Turtles tread, and Rookes and Dawes. 1601 Holland Pliny x. xii. I. 276 The Crowes and Rookes have a cast by themselves. 1663 Butler Hud. i. i. 76 He'd prove..a Goose a Justice, And Rooks Committee-men, and Trustees. 1726–46 Thomson Winter 141 A blackening train Of clamorous rooks thick urge their weary flight. 1768 Pennant Brit. Zool. I. 168 Rooks are sociable birds, living in vast flocks: crows go only in pairs. 1802 Montagu Ornith. Dict. s.v., The Rook is partial to cultivated parts, as well as to the habitation of man. 1841 Penny Cycl. XX. 148/2 Grain, and insects especially, form the food of the Rook. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. I. ii. 529 From hill to hill the wandering rook did sail, Lazily croaking. |
| β c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) viii. 31 Þer commes rukes and crakes and oþer fewles. 1424 Sc. Acts Jas. I (1814) II. 6 Rukes bigande in kirk ȝardis, orchardis or treis dois gret skaithe apone cornis. c 1450 Holland Howlat 794 Sa come the Ruke with a rerd and a rane roch. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxxiii. 117 Had he reveild bene to the rwikis, Thay had him revin all with thair clwikis. 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xv. 53 Ȝe gleds and howlets, rauins and rukis. |
2. a. Applied to persons as an abusive or disparaging term.
| 1508 Dunbar Flyting 57 Revin, raggit ruke, and full of rebaldrie. 1593 Tell-Troth's N.Y. Gift (Shaks. Soc.) 13 Callinge his wittes together (of which he had no small neede, being mated with two such rookes). Note. They are rookes for their troubling tongs. 1603 Dekker Wonderfull Year Wks. (Grosart) I. 89 So many Rookes, catchpolls of poesy, That feed vpon the fallings of hye wit. a 1661 Fuller Worthies, Worcestershire iii. (1662) 168 In plain English, this Scotish Demster is an arrant rook, depluming England, Ireland and Wales, of famous Writers, meerly to feather his own Country therewith. 1721 Ramsay Ode to the Ph― xii, Ye'll worry me, you greedy rook. 1784 Burns Rob Mossgiel 4 Such witching books are baited hooks, For rakish rooks like Rob Mossgiel. |
b. A cheat, swindler, or sharper,
spec. in gaming.
| 1577 Nottingham Rec. IV. 173 For against thys Fayre evere noughte rooke wyll come. 1662 W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. iv. §2 (1669) 77/1 They meet with many Rooks and Cheaters in their dealing. 1693 Humours Town 25 To shake away an Estate to known Rooks that live by the Dice, is an unaccountable piece of folly. 1705 Wycherley Let. to Pope 7 April, So I am (like and old Rook, who is ruined by Gaming) forced to live on the good Fortune of the pushing young Men. 1767 Colman Prose Sev. Occas. (1787) II. 82 They need not be guilty of burglary, turn Rooks and Sharpers, commit fraudulent bankruptcies [etc.]. 1824 Hist. Gaming 50 We scarcely know whether yet to class him with the rooks or the pigeons. 1889 Spectator 18 May, To punish the rooks by positive fines and the pigeons by the public exposure of their folly. |
| appos. 1678 Oldham Let. fr. Country Wks. (1854) 74 Poets are cullies, whom rook fame draws in. |
† c. A gull, a simpleton.
Obs.| 1598 B. Jonson Every Man in Hum. i. v, Hang him, rooke, he! why, he has no more iudgement then a malt⁓horse. 1601 ― Poetaster i. ii, What? shall I haue my sonne a stager now? an enghle for players? a gull? a rooke? 1611 Chapman May Day iii. ii, An arrant Rooke by this light; a capable cheating stocke; a man may carry him vp and downe by the eares like a pipkin. 1637 Bastwick Litany i. 7 Such men as study by all means to serve God..are by these varlets called rooks. |
d. slang. A ‘black-coat’.
Cf. rookship.
| 1859 Slang Dict. 82 Rook, a clergyman. |
3. Cant. and
dial. (See
quots.)
| 1796 Grose's Dict. Vulgar T. (ed. 3), Rook,..the cant name for a crow used in house-breaking. 1812 J. H. Vaux Flash Dict., Rook, a small iron crow. 1879 G. F. Jackson Shropsh. Word-bk. 355 Rook, the iron key used for winding up a kitchen-grate when it is too wide. |
4. a. attrib. and
Comb., as
rook-babble,
rook-catcher,
rook-net,
rook-roost,
rook-scarer;
rook-crowded,
rook-delighting,
rook-haunted,
rook-like,
rook-racked,
rook-routed,
rook-tenanted adjs.;
rook-scaring,
rook-shooting vbl. ns.| 1948 C. Day Lewis Poems 1943–47 21 The rook-babble of bathers. |
| 1637 Bastwick Litany i. 8 The Church-wardens through the Kingdome are the Prelats rook-catchers. |
| 1964 Listener 24 Dec. 1009/2 Goal-posts, a public-house, a rook-crowded birch. |
| 1914 W. B. Yeats Responsibilities 37 Suddenly I saw the cold and rook-delighting Heaven. |
| 1872 Morris in Mackail Life (1899) I. 280, I am writing among the grey gables and rook-haunted trees. |
| 1870 Dickens E. Drood ii, Divers venerable persons of rook-like aspect. |
| 1573–4 Saffron-Walden Accs. (MS.), For a rokenet, 8s. |
| 1879 G. M. Hopkins Poems (1967) 79 Lark-charmèd, rook-racked, river-rounded. 1937 J. W. Day Sporting Adventure 88 The great rook-roosts of winter, the annual nightly gatherings of thousands of these birds, are breaking up. |
| 1923 Blunden To Nature 46 In the rook-routed vale. |
| 1910 N.E.D., Rook-starver,..a rook-scarer. 1946 J. W. Day Harvest Adventure xvi. 266 A rat-catcher is a Pest Control Officer and a rook-scarer a Corvine Operator! |
| 1895 ‘Rosemary’ Under Chilterns i. 20 The poor child ain't fit for sech work as that there rewk-scarin' this weather. 1910 in N.E.D. s.v. rook-starving. 1969 G. E. Evans Farm & Village v. 55 Some called it bird-keeping or bird-tending—keeping the birds off the newly sown land—while others referred to it simply as rook-scaring. |
| 1837 Dickens Pickw. vii, Your friend and I..are going out rook-shooting before breakfast. |
| 1874 L. Carr J. Gwynne I. i. 1 A cluster of old elms, rook-tenanted. |
b. Special combs., as
rook-bolter (see
quot.);
rook-boy, one employed in scaring rooks from corn;
rook-drive, an expedition to shoot rooks;
rook-grove, a clump of trees containing a rookery;
rook-hawk, (
a) a hawk trained to fly at rooks; (
b) the hobby;
rook-hawking, the sport of flying hawks at rooks;
rook-pie, a pie made with (young) rooks;
rook-rattle, a rattle used in scaring rooks;
rook rifle, a rifle of small bore for shooting rooks;
rook-starver,
dial., a rook-scarer;
rook-starving,
dial., rook-scaring;
rook-worm, a worm eaten by rooks;
esp. the larva of the cockchafer,
Melolontha melolontha.
| 1840 Spurdens E. Anglian Wds., Quarrel, a kind of bird-bolt,..now only used by *rook-bolters for beating down rooks' nests. |
| 1885 Census Instruct. Index, *Rook Boy. |
| 1969 R. Blythe Akenfield 20 ‘Did you kill men, Davie?’ ‘I got several’—the same answer to a question on how he did on a *rook-drive. |
| a 1682 Sir T. Browne Norf. Birds Wks. (Bohn) III. 321 By reason of the great quantity of corn-fields and *rook groves. |
| 1855 Salvin & Brodrick Falconry 63 One of William Barr's best *rook Hawks in 1852 was an eyess Tiercel. 1887 A. C. Smith Birds of Wiltshire 72 The Hobby... I am told that its provincial name in Wiltshire is the ‘Rook Hawk’. |
| 1855 Salvin & Brodrick Falconry 63 We now come to a somewhat similar sport, viz. *Rook hawking. |
| 1769 Mrs. Raffald Eng. Housekpr. (1778) 157 A *Rook Pye. Skin and draw six young rooks. 1837 Dickens Pickw. vii, Indistinct visions of rook-pie floated through his imagination. |
| 1892 ‘Q.’ I saw three Ships 163 Scattered among these were ox-bells, *rook-rattles, a fog-horn or two. |
| 1859 Stonehenge Shot-Gun 104 In *rook rifle-shooting at birds just fledged. 1900 E. Glyn Visits of Elizabeth 50 She amused herself..by shooting at rabbits..with a rook rifle. 1907 [see ejector 2]. 1921 ‘K. Mansfield’ Let. 3 Feb. (1977) 215 My grandpa said a man could travel all over the world with a clean pair of socks and a rook rifle. 1972 Shooting Times & Country Mag. 4 Mar. 11/1 Somehow we got hold of a .300 rook rifle cartridge. 1976 Ibid. 16–22 Dec. 46/4 (Advt.), Holland and Holland .410 converted rook rifle, {pstlg}70. |
| 1895 Burroughs White's Selborne I. 143 A ‘*rook-starver’. |
| 1766 Compl. Farmer s.v. Red-worm 6 K 3/1 It is called a grub, by others the large maggot, and the *rook worm, because the rooks eat it. 1841 Penny Cycl. XX. 148/2 The larvæ of the cock-chaffer (Melolontha vulgaris)..are called Rook-worms in many places. |
| 1959 E. F. Linssen Beetles Brit. Isles II. 124 The larvae of the Cockchafer—sometimes called by farmers White Grubs or Rookworms—are exceedingly destructive. 1973 J. M. Chinery Field Guide Insects Brit. & N. Europe 303 It is said that rooks are particularly fond of both adult and larval cockchafers and the larvae are often called rookworms. |
▪ II. rook, n.2 Chess.
(
rʊk)
Forms: 4–5
rok, 5–6
roke (5
roche), 6–7
rock; 5–
rook (7
-ke).
[a. OF. roc(k, rok, ro(c)q, = Sp. and Pg. roque, It. rocco, med.L. rocus, rochus, also MLG. roch (G. roch, roche), ON. hrókr (Icel. hrókur), MSw. rokk, obs. Da. rok, rocke. The ultimate source is Pers. rukh, the original sense of which is doubtful.] One of four pieces which at the beginning of the game are set in the corner squares, and have the power of moving in a right line forwards, backwards, or laterally over any number of unoccupied squares; a castle. Also in
fig. contexts.
| 13.. Guy Warw. (1883) 426 Wiþ a roke he brac his heued þan. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 11397 Somme..Drowe forthe meyne for þe cheker Wyþ draughtes queinte of knight & rok. c 1407 Lydg. Reson & Sens. 6717 Hyr Rokys at eche corner oon Wer makyd of a ryche stoon. c 1450 Treat. Chess (MS. Ashm. 344), Draw thy knyght in a ande say chek, Sythen thy Roke in b and say chek. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxii. 478 Yonnet..played wyth his roke that he sholde not be mated. 1562 J. Rowbotham Playe of Cheasts A iv b, The Rooke is made lykest to the Kinge and the Queene, but that he is not so long. 1591 Florio 2nd Frutes 75, I had beene taken napping, if I had plaid that rooke. 1622 Fletcher Span. Cur. iii. iv, Now play your best Sir, though I lose this Rook here, Yet I get libertie. 1656 Beale Chesse-play 2 In the corner of the field the Rooke, Rock, or Duke, who is sometimes fashioned with a round head, sometimes like a Castle. 1735 Bertin Chess 56 The bishop gives a check in his queen's rook's fourth square. 1812 Crabbe Tales xi. 363 Nor good nor evil can you beings name, Who are but rooks and castles in the game. 1870 Hardy & Ware Mod. Hoyle, Chess 39 The Rook..may pass along the entire length of the board at one move. |
▪ III. rook, n.3 Sc. and
north. dial. [Var. of roke or rouk: the difference in the vowel is unusual.] Mist, fog.
| c 1700 Kennett in MS. Lansd. 1033 fol. 327 b, A Rook, a steam or vapour. 1786 Har'st Rig (1794) 27 Mair scouthry like it still does look, At length comes on in mochy rook. 1825 in Brockett. 1894 Heslop Northumb. Gloss. 584 Yonder's a rook on the law. |
▪ IV. rook, n.4 (
rʊk)
U.S. shortening of
rookie.
| 1905 Bluejacket Mar. 190/1 The sailors there said we were ‘rooks’. 1927 Amer. Speech II. 278/1 Rook,..novice. 1935 Our Army (U.S.) June 12 A life-long profession from club-footed ‘Rook’ to Top Soak. 1941 G. Kersh They die with their Boots Clean ii. 85 This here Spencer drops weight{ddd}millions of stones that rook lost. 1942 Yank 23 Sept. 17 In the horse cavalry, recruits do not complain as loudly about kitchen police as do the rooks in other branches. |
▪ V. rook dial., a heap: see
ruck n.▪ VI. rook obs. form of
rock n.1▪ VII. rook, v.1 (
rʊk)
[f. rook n.1 2 b.] 1. trans. To cheat; to defraud by cheating,
esp. in gaming; to clean of money by fraud, extortion, or other means; to charge extortionately.
Chiefly in slang or colloquial use.
| c 1590 [? Lodge] Sir T. More i. ii, Let them gull me, widgeon me, rook me, fopp me. 1598 B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. iii. i, If he should prooue, Rimarum plenus, then s'blood I were Rookt. 1654 Gayton Pleas. Notes iv. xviii. 261 How easily doth a brother rooke a brother, I mean the craftie brother the weaker? 1673 [R. Leigh] Transp. Reh. 87 This may be a fair warning..to take heed he be not rookt by such polititians. 1691 Wood Ath. Oxon. II. 302 The unsanctified crew of Gamesters..rook'd him sometimes of all he could wrap or get. 1710 Palmer Prov. 209 Drawn in by guinea-droppers, and rook'd of forty guineas and a watch. 1780 H. Walpole Let. to Earl Harcourt 10 June, Whether terrified.., or to rooke new legions..of Infernals, the Gordon is fled. 1822 Scott Nigel xxi, It was this same Glenvarloch that rooked me, at the ordinary, of every penny I had. 1862 M. Napier Life Visct. Dundee II. 321 The Decreet of the Mint by which they had been so terribly rooked. 1897 Anstey Trav. Comp. ii, Not such a bad dinner! Expect they'll rook us a lot for it, though. 1938 Sun (Baltimore) 11 Oct. 24/2 There have been numerous complaints that the growers have been ‘rooked’. 1969 Listener 10 Apr. 482/3 Because we had been rooked at the door, none of us ever thought of boycotting the desk where another seated veteran..was selling post-cards. 1977 Capital Times (Madison, Wisconsin) 27 Jan. 10/3 The Federal Trade Commission thinks that a lot of people have been rooked by these buying clubs. |
† 2. To take by cheating, or by fraudulent means.
| 1648 Symmons Vind. Chas. I, 161 How they rooked to themselves all the Plate and Money. 1653 Milton Hirelings Wks. 1851 V. 361 The Title of Gehazi..to those things which by abusing his Master's name he rook'd from Naaman. 1695 Cotton Martial i. lxvi. 59 Dost hope..For ten vile pence eternal glory rook? |
† 3. intr. To practise cheating.
Obs.| 1668 Dryden Even. Love iii. i, In the gaming-house, where I found most of the town-wits; the prose-wits playing, and the verse-wits rooking. 1676 Shadwell Libertine ii, You women always rook in love, you'll never play upon the square with us. 1693 Locke Educ. §70 Learning to wrangle at Trap, or rook at Span-farthing. |
† 4. (Meaning uncertain.)
Obs.| 1632 Shirley Hyde Park iii. i, Ile rooke for once, my Lord, Ile hold you twenty more... Done with you too. |
▪ VIII. rook, v.2 [f. rook n.2] ‘To castle at chess’ (Ogilvie, 1850).
▪ IX. † rook, v.3 Obs. (Exact meaning not clear.)
| 1616 in W. H. Wheeler Hist. Fens (1897) App. iv. 11 The Welland to be roaded, rooked, hooked, haffed, scowered, and cleansed. |
▪ X. rook to crouch, cower: see
ruck v.