Related Searches
Nearby Words
Synonyms
Synonym Game
bulwark
defense
earth
mass
PLAY

between a rock and a hard place

 [rok]   Origin

rock

1   [rok]
noun
1.
a large mass of stone forming a hill, cliff, promontory, or the like.
2.
Geology.
a.
mineral matter of variable composition, consolidated or unconsolidated, assembled in masses or considerable quantities in nature, as by the action of heat or water.
b.
a particular kind of such matter: igneous rock.
3.
stone in the mass: buildings that stand upon rock.
4.
a stone of any size.
5.
something resembling or suggesting a rock.
EXPAND
6.
a firm foundation or support: The Lord is my rock.
7.
Chiefly British. a kind of hard candy, variously flavored.
8.
rock candy.
9.
Often, rocks. Slang.
a.
a piece of money.
b.
a dollar bill.
10.
Slang.
a.
a diamond.
b.
any gem.
11.
Slang.
a.
crack (def. 41).
b.
a pellet or lump of crack.
COLLAPSE
Idioms
12.
between a rock and a hard place, between undesirable alternatives.
13.
get one's rocks off, Slang: Vulgar. to have an orgasm.
14.
on the rocks,
a.
Informal. in or into a state of disaster or ruin: Their marriage is on the rocks.
b.
Informal. without funds; destitute; bankrupt.
c.
(of a beverage, especially liquor or a cocktail) with, or containing, ice cubes: Scotch on the rocks; a vodka martini on the rocks.

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Between a rock and a hard place is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Origin:
1300–50; 1905–10 for def. 10; Middle English rokk(e) < Old French ro(c)que, roche (compare roche alum); compare Spanish, Provençal roca, Italian rocca, Medieval Latin rocha, rocca (> late Old English -rocc in stānrocc “stone-rock”)

Related forms
rock·less, adjective
rock·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To between a rock and a hard place
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

rock
"to dance to popular music with a strong beat," 1948 (first attested in song title "We're gonna rock"), from rock (v.1), in earlier blues slang sense of "to cause to move with musical rhythm" (1922); often used at first with sexual overtones (cf. 1922 song title "My Man Rocks
EXPAND
Me (with One Steady Roll)"). Sense developed early 1950s to "play or dance to rock and roll music." Noun sense of "musical rhythm characterized by a strong beat" is from 1946, in blues slang. Rocksteady, Jamaican pop music style (precursor of reggae), is attested from 1969.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

Rock (rŏk), John. 1890-1984.

American gynecologist and obstetrician who helped develop (1954) the first effective oral contraceptive.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
rock   (rŏk)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A relatively hard, naturally occurring mineral material. Rock can consist of a single mineral or of several minerals that are either tightly compacted or held together by a cementlike mineral matrix. The three main types of rock are igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.

  2. A piece of such material; a stone.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

between a rock and a hard place definition


Faced with two equally dangerous or difficult choices or circumstances: “Trying to please two supervisors is like being between a rock and a hard place.” This phrase dates from the early twentieth century.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

between a rock and a hard place definition


  1. mod.
    in a very difficult position; facing a hard decision. : I'm between a rock and a hard place. I don't know what to do.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

rock definition


  1. n.
    and rock candy. crack, a crystallized form of cocaine. (Drugs. See also rocks.) : Some call it rock candy, and some call it crack.
  2. n.
    a crystallized form of heroin used for smoking. (Drugs.) : Max is hooked on rock—the kind that you smoke. , Powder is everywhere, but you can hardly find rock anymore.
  3. n.
    a diamond or other gemstone. : Look at the size of that rock in her ring.

  4. Go to rocks. :
  5. n.
    a baseball; a basketball. : Michael passed the rock to Scottie, who turned and dropped it in the basket.
  6. in.
    to be really great. : The concerts didn't rock, but we had a good time throwing chairs.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

between a rock and a hard place

Also, between the devil and the deep blue sea or Scylla and Charybdis. Between two equally difficult or unacceptable choices. For example, Trying to please both my boss and his supervisor puts me between a rock and a hard place. The rock and hard place version is the newest of these synonymous phrases, dating from the early 1900s, and alludes to being caught or crushed between two rocks. The oldest is Scylla and Charybdis, which in Homer's Odyssey signified a monster on a rock (Scylla) and a fatal whirlpool (Charybdis), between which Odysseus had to sail through a narrow passage. It was used figuratively by the Roman writer Virgil and many writers since. The devil in devil and deep blue sea, according to lexicographer Charles Earle Funk, referred to a seam around a ship's hull near the waterline, which, if a sailor was trying to caulk it in heavy seas, would cause him to fall overboard. Others disagree, however, and believe the phrase simply alludes to a choice between hellfire with the devil and drowning in deep waters.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriThesaurus
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
About Privacy Policy Terms of Use API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT