rock 'n' roll definition | Dictionary.com

rock-'n'-roll

[rok-uh

n-rohl]

–noun

1.	a style of popular music that derives in part from blues and folk music and is marked by a heavily accented beat and a simple, repetitive phrase structure.

–adjective

2.	of or pertaining to this music.

–verb (used without object)

3.	to dance to or play rock-'n'-roll.

Also, rock-and-roll, rock 'n' roll.

Origin:
1950–55; contr. of phrase rock and roll; see rock ²

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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rock 'n' roll or rock-and-roll (rŏk'ən-rōl') Pronunciation Key
n. A form of popular music arising from and incorporating a variety of musical styles, especially rhythm and blues, country music, and gospel. Originating in the United States in the 1950s, it is characterized by electronically amplified instrumentation, a heavily accented beat, and relatively simple phrase structure.

rock 'n' roller, rock'-and-roll'er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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rock ''n'' roll

noun ref. to a specific style of popular music is attested from 1954, from rock (v.2) + roll (v.). The verbal phrase had been a Black Eng. euphemism for "sexual intercourse," used in popular dance music lyrics and song titles since at least the 1934s. Shortened form rock first attested 1957.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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rock 'n' roll
noun
a genre of popular music originating in the 1950s; a blend of black rhythm-and-blues with white country-and-western; "rock is a generic term for the range of styles that evolved out of rock'n'roll."

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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rock 'n' roll

Popular music combining elements of blues (or rhythm and blues), gospel music, and country and western music, and known for its strong beat and urgent lyrics. Well-known early, pioneering rock 'n' roll artists or groups include Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, the Supremes, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley.

[Chapter:] Fine Arts

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