rock-'n'-roll

or rock-and-roll, rock 'n' roll

[ rok-uhn-rohl ]
See synonyms for rock-'n'-roll on Thesaurus.com
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
  1. of or relating to this music.

verb (used without object)
  1. to dance to or play rock-'n'-roll.

Origin of rock-'n'-roll

1
1950–55; contraction of phrase rock and roll;see rock2

Other words from rock-'n'-roll

  • rock-'n'-roller, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rock-'n'-roll in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rock'n'roll

rock'n'roll

noun
  1. a variant spelling of rock and roll

Derived forms of rock'n'roll

  • rock'n'roller, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for rock 'n' roll

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.

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