rock
UK[rɒk]US[rɑːk]
n
The hard, solid mineral material forming part of the surface of the earth, often exposed on mountains or cliffs.
n
A large piece of such material.
v
To move gently backwards and forwards or from side to side.
v
To cause great shock or distress to someone or something.
Etymology
The word 'rock' entered modern English from Old English rocc, which referred to a large stone or a rocky peak. This term is of Germanic origin, related to Old Norse rokkr and Middle Dutch roc. While its ultimate pre-Germanic origins are uncertain, it is a foundational, concrete noun in the language. Its semantic journey expanded from denoting the physical material to describing a large piece of it, and later, through metaphorical extension, to the verb meaning 'to sway,' evoking the motion of a cradle or a ship on a rough sea, and further to mean 'to shock or disturb,' as if one's foundation were being shaken.
Analysis
The word 'rock' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The climbers scaled the sheer face of the rock.
She gently rocked the baby to sleep in her arms.
The company was rocked by the financial scandal.