1892, "raw recruit," originally in Kipling's Barrack-Room Ballads, perhaps from recruit, influenced by rook (1) in its secondary sense, suggesting "easy to cheat."
n. a person new at something; a neophyte, especially a police officer or a ballplayer. : The rookie tackled the old-time player and earned a lot of cheering and applause.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
The job went to a rookie because no one else had the courage for it.
Their owners are less experienced in business, so may make rookie mistakes.
If there's anything we're learning about the rookie, it's that he doesn't panic when he misses.
Rookie controllers, antiquated equipment, and federal mismanagement combine to produce inefficiency and danger.
The question isn't who gets on the field as a rookie or even how much, but who's still there several seasons later.
One was a rookie still fired up over one of his first arrests.