i Register
In some senses, rook is marked as slang, obsolete, British, rare. Watch for register when choosing this word.
rook
/ɹʊk/
noun 9verb 3
Collocations
5ADJ.
advanced, against, important, old, over
VERB + ROOK
distinguishes, exchange, know, like, sacrificed, supported, took
ROOK + NOUN
bishop, chess, crow, endgame, king, magpie, mate, pawn
PREP.
from, in, in, on, up, with
ADV.
always, only, shockingly
Definitions
noun
1
A European bird, Corvus frugilegus, of the crow family.
But what distinguishes the rook from the crow is the bill; the nostrils, chin, and sides of that and the mouth being in old birds white and bared of feathers, by often thrusting the bill into the ground in search of the erucæ of the Dor-beetle*; the rook then, instead of being proscribed, should be treated as the farmer's friend; as it clears his ground from caterpillars, that do incredible damage by eating the roots of the corn.
To-night the winds begin to rise And roar from yonder dropping day: The last red leaf is whirl’d away, The rooks are blown about the skies; […]
2
A cheat or swindler; someone who betrays.
So I am (like an old rook, who is ruined by gaming) forced to live on the good fortune of the pushing young men, whose fancies are so vigorous that they ensure their success in their adventures with Muses, by their strength and imagination.
3
A bad deal; a rip-off.
4
A type of firecracker used by farmers to scare birds of the same name.
5
A trick-taking game, usually played with a specialized deck of cards.
Adventists still do not really know how to play cards, apart from the sanitized version of bridge, Rook.
verb
1
To cheat or swindle.
They rook one shockingly at these places.
Some had spent a week in Jersey before coming to Guernsey; and, from what Paddy had heard, they really do know how to rook the visitors over there.
noun
1
A piece shaped like a castle tower, that can be moved only up, down, left or right (but not diagonally) or in castling.
2
A castle or other fortification.
Thesaurus
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
But what distinguishes the rook from the crow is the bill; the nostrils, chin, and sides of that and the mouth being in old birds white and bared of feathers, by often thrusting the bill into the grou
Wiktionary02
To-night the winds begin to rise And roar from yonder dropping day: The last red leaf is whirl’d away, The rooks are blown about the skies; […]
Wiktionary03
So I am (like an old rook, who is ruined by gaming) forced to live on the good fortune of the pushing young men, whose fancies are so vigorous that they ensure their success in their adventures with M
Wiktionary04
They rook one shockingly at these places.
Wiktionary05
Some had spent a week in Jersey before coming to Guernsey; and, from what Paddy had heard, they really do know how to rook the visitors over there.
Wiktionary06
The raven rook'd her on the chimney's top
WiktionaryUsage Notes
Your note
not saved0 chars