rook
pronunciation
How to pronounce rook in British English:
UK [rʊk]
How to pronounce rook in American English:
US [rʊk]
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- Noun:
- (chess) the piece that can move any number of unoccupied squares in a direction parallel to the sides of the chessboard
- common gregarious Old World bird about the size and color of the American crow
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- Verb:
- deprive of by deceit
Word Origin
- rook (n.1)
- "European crow," Old English hroc, from Proto-Germanic *khrokaz (cognates: Old Norse hrokr, Middle Dutch roec, Dutch roek, Middle Swedish roka, Old High German hruoh "crow"), possibly imitative of its raucous voice (compare Gaelic roc "croak," Sanskrit kruc "to cry out"). Used as a disparaging term for persons since at least c. 1500, and extended by 1570s to mean "a cheat," especially at cards or dice.
- rook (n.2)
- chess piece, c. 1300, from Old French roc, from Arabic rukhkh, from Persian rukh, of unknown meaning, perhaps somehow related to the Indian name for the piece, rut, from Hindi rath "chariot." Confused in Middle English with roc.
- rook (v.)
- "to defraud by cheating" (originally especially in a game), 1590s, from rook (n.1) in some sense (such as "a gull, simpleton," but this is not attested until 17c.). Related: Rooked; rooking.
Example
- 1. I take her rook with my queen .
- 2. Chess includes rook , knight , bishop , king and pawn .
- 3. Does rook have the girl ?
- 4. Don 't touch your rook !
- 5. But the man ya look for , him named rook .