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on the rocks

 [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
Cool Whisky Stones www.curiocityonline.com/ Chill Scotch, whisky, vodka, etc without watering down its flavor
Ad
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.

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On the rocks is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
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 on the rocks
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
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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
Slang Dictionary

on the rocks definition


  1. mod.
    (of an alcoholic drink) with ice cubes. (See also rocks.) : I'd like mine on the rocks, please.
  2. mod.
    in a state of ruin or bankruptcy. (Like a ship that has gone aground on the rocks and cannot be moved.) : That bank is on the rocks. Don't put your money in it.
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

on the rocks

  1. Ruined, spoiled, as in Six months after the wedding, their marriage was on the rocks. This expression, alluding to a ship running aground on rocks and breaking apart, has been used figuratively for other disasters since the late 1800s.

  2. Served over ice only, as in He always drinks whiskey on the rocks. The "rocks" here are the ice cubes. [Mid-1900s]

  3. Destitute, bankrupt, as in Can I borrow next month's rent? I'm on the rocks. This usage, from the late 1800s, is heard more often in Britain than America.

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