off one's rocker

rock·er

[rok-er]
noun
1.
Also called runner. one of the curved pieces on which a cradle or a rocking chair, rocks.
2.
rocking chair.
3.
a rock-'n'-roll song: She sang a ballad and followed that with two of her well-known rockers.
4.
any of various devices that operate with a rocking motion.
5.
Graphic Arts. a small steel plate with one curved and toothed edge for roughening a copperplate to make a mezzotint.
6.
Mining. cradle ( def 13 ).
7.
an ice skate that has a curved blade.
8.
a performer or fan of rock music.
Idioms
9.
off one's rocker, Slang. insane; crazy: You're off your rocker if you think I'm going to climb that mountain.
00:10
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So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
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Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English: one who rocks a cradle; see rock2, -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
rocker (ˈrɒkə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  See also rocker arm any of various devices that transmit or operate with a rocking motion
2.  another word for rocking chair
3.  either of two curved supports on the legs of a chair or other article of furniture on which it may rock
4.  a steel tool with a curved toothed cage, used to roughen the copper plate in engraving a mezzotint
5.  mining another word for cradle
6.  a.  an ice skate with a curved blade
 b.  the curve itself
7.  skating
 a.  a figure consisting of three interconnecting circles
 b.  a half turn in which the skater turns through 180°, so facing about while continuing to move in the same direction
8.  a rock-music performer, fan, or song
9.  (Brit) Compare mod an adherent of a youth movement rooted in the 1950s, characterized by motorcycle trappings
10.  slang off one's rocker crazy; demented

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

rocker
"a rocking chair," 1852, Amer.Eng., from rock (v.); earlier "nurse charged with rocking a cradle" (c.1400). In sense of "one of the curved pieces of wood that makes a chair or cradle rock" it dates from 1787. Slang off (one's) rocker "crazy" first recorded 1897. Meaning "one who enjoys rock music" (as
opposed to mod) is recorded from 1963.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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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.
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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.
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Slang Dictionary

off (one's) rocker definition


  1. mod.
    silly; giddy; crazy. (See also rocker.) : That silly dame is off her rocker.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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rocker definition


  1. n.
    a rocking chair. (Not slang.) : I love to spend a sunny afternoon in my rocker.
  2. n.
    a rock and roll singer, song, or fan. (See also off (one's) rocker.) : Let's listen to a good rocker.
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

off one's rocker

Also, off one's nut or trolley. See off one's head.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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