3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Rock  \Rock\,  n.  [OF.  roke,  F.  roche;  cf  Armor.  roc'h,  and  AS 
  rocc.] 
  1.  A  large  concreted  mass  of  stony  material;  a  large  fixed 
  stone  or  crag.  See  {Stone}. 
 
  Come  one  come  all!  this  rock  shall  fly  From  its 
  firm  base  as  soon  as  I.  --Sir  W. 
  Scott. 
 
  2.  (Geol.)  Any  natural  deposit  forming  a  part  of  the  earth's 
  crust,  whether  consolidated  or  not  including  sand,  earth, 
  clay,  etc.,  when  in  natural  beds. 
 
  3.  That  which  resembles  a  rock  in  firmness;  a  defense;  a 
  support;  a  refuge. 
 
  The  Lord  is  my  rock,  and  my  fortress.  --2  Sam.  xxii. 
  2. 
 
  4.  Fig.:  Anything  which  causes  a  disaster  or  wreck  resembling 
  the  wreck  of  a  vessel  upon  a  rock. 
 
  5.  (Zo["o]l.)  The  striped  bass.  See  under  {Bass}. 
 
  Note:  This  word  is  frequently  used  in  the  formation  of 
  self-explaining  compounds;  as  rock-bound,  rock-built, 
  rock-ribbed,  rock-roofed,  and  the  like 
 
  {Rock  alum}.  [Probably  so  called  by  confusion  with  F.  roche  a 
  rock.]  Same  as  {Roche  alum}. 
 
  {Rock  barnacle}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  barnacle  ({Balanus  balanoides}) 
  very  abundant  on  rocks  washed  by  tides. 
 
  {Rock  bass}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  The  stripped  bass.  See  under  {Bass}. 
  b  The  goggle-eye. 
  c  The  cabrilla.  Other  species  are  also  locally  called 
  rock  bass. 
 
  {Rock  builder}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  species  of  animal  whose 
  remains  contribute  to  the  formation  of  rocks,  especially 
  the  corals  and  Foraminifera. 
 
  {Rock  butter}  (Min.),  native  alum  mixed  with  clay  and  oxide 
  of  iron,  usually  in  soft  masses  of  a  yellowish  white 
  color,  occuring  in  cavities  and  fissures  in  argillaceous 
  slate. 
 
  {Rock  candy},  a  form  of  candy  consisting  of  crystals  of  pure 
  sugar  which  are  very  hard,  whence  the  name 
 
  {Rock  cavy}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Moco}. 
 
  {Rock  cod}  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  A  small  often  reddish  or  brown,  variety  of  the  cod 
  found  about  rocks  andledges 
  b  A  California  rockfish. 
 
  {Rock  cook}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  A  European  wrasse  ({Centrolabrus  exoletus}). 
  b  A  rockling. 
 
  {Rock  cork}  (Min.),  a  variety  of  asbestus  the  fibers  of  which 
  are  loosely  interlaced.  It  resembles  cork  in  its  texture. 
 
 
  {Rock  crab}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  several  species  of  large 
  crabs  of  the  genus  {Cancer},  as  the  two  species  of  the  New 
  England  coast  ({C.  irroratus}  and  {C.  borealis}).  See 
  Illust.  under  {Cancer}. 
 
  {Rock  cress}  (Bot.),  a  name  of  several  plants  of  the  cress 
  kind  found  on  rocks,  as  {Arabis  petr[ae]a},  {A.  lyrata}, 
  etc 
 
  {Rock  crystal}  (Min.),  limpid  quartz.  See  {Quartz},  and  under 
  {Crystal}. 
 
  {Rock  dove}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  rock  pigeon;  --  called  also  {rock 
  doo}. 
 
  {Rock  drill},  an  implement  for  drilling  holes  in  rock;  esp., 
  a  machine  impelled  by  steam  or  compressed  air,  for 
  drilling  holes  for  blasting,  etc 
 
  {Rock  duck}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  harlequin  duck. 
 
  {Rock  eel}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Gunnel}. 
 
  {Rock  goat}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  wild  goat,  or  ibex. 
 
  {Rock  hopper}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  penguin  of  the  genus 
  {Catarractes}.  See  under  {Penguin}. 
 
  {Rock  kangaroo}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Kangaroo},  and  {Petrogale}. 
 
 
  {Rock  lobster}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  several  species  of 
  large  spinose  lobsters  of  the  genera  {Panulirus}  and 
  {Palinurus}.  They  have  no  large  claws.  Called  also  {spiny 
  lobster},  and  {sea  crayfish}. 
 
  {Rock  meal}  (Min.),  a  light  powdery  variety  of  calcite 
  occuring  as  an  efflorescence. 
 
  {Rock  milk}.  (Min.)  See  {Agaric  mineral},  under  {Agaric}. 
 
  {Rock  moss},  a  kind  of  lichen;  the  cudbear.  See  {Cudbear}. 
 
  {Rock  oil}.  See  {Petroleum}. 
 
  {Rock  parrakeet}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  small  Australian  parrakeet 
  ({Euphema  petrophila}),  which  nests  in  holes  among  the 
  rocks  of  high  cliffs.  Its  general  color  is  yellowish  olive 
  green;  a  frontal  band  and  the  outer  edge  of  the  wing 
  quills  are  deep  blue,  and  the  central  tail  feathers  bluish 
  green. 
 
  {Rock  pigeon}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  wild  pigeon  ({Columba  livia}) 
  Of  Europe  and  Asia,  from  which  the  domestic  pigeon  was 
  derived.  See  Illust.  under  {Pigeon}. 
 
  {Rock  pipit}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  the  Note  under  {Pipit}. 
 
  {Rock  plover}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  The  black-bellied,  or  whistling,  plover. 
  b  The  rock  snipe. 
 
  {Rock  ptarmigan}  (Zo["o]l.),  an  arctic  American  ptarmigan 
  ({Lagopus  rupestris}),  which  in  winter  is  white,  with  the 
  tail  and  lores  black.  In  summer  the  males  are  grayish 
  brown,  coarsely  vermiculated  with  black,  and  have  black 
  patches  on  the  back 
 
  {Rock  rabbit}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  hyrax.  See  {Cony},  and  {Daman}. 
 
 
  {Rock  ruby}  (Min.),  a  fine  reddish  variety  of  garnet. 
 
  {Rock  salt}  (Min.),  cloride  of  sodium  (common  salt)  occuring 
  in  rocklike  masses  in  mines;  mineral  salt;  salt  dug  from 
  the  earth.  In  the  United  States  this  name  is  sometimes 
  given  to  salt  in  large  crystals,  formed  by  evaporation 
  from  sea  water  in  large  basins  or  cavities. 
 
  {Rock  seal}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  harbor  seal.  See  {Seal}. 
 
  {Rock  shell}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  species  of  Murex,  Purpura,  and 
  allied  genera. 
 
  {Rock  snake}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  several  large  pythons; 
  as  the  royal  rock  snake  ({Python  regia})  of  Africa,  and 
  the  rock  snake  of  India  ({P.  molurus}).  The  Australian 
  rock  snakes  mostly  belong  to  the  allied  genus  {Morelia}. 
 
 
  {Rock  snipe}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  purple  sandpiper  ({Tringa 
  maritima});  --  called  also  {rock  bird},  {rock  plover}, 
  {winter  snipe}. 
 
  {Rock  soap}  (Min.),  a  kind  of  clay  having  a  smooth,  greasy 
  feel  and  adhering  to  the  tongue. 
 
  {Rock  sparrow}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  Any  one  of  several  species  of  Old  World  sparrows  of 
  the  genus  {Petronia},  as  {P.  stulla},  of  Europe. 
  b  A  North  American  sparrow  ({Puc[ae]a  ruficeps}). 
 
  {Rock  tar},  petroleum. 
 
  {Rock  thrush}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  Old  World  thrush  of  the  genus 
  {Monticola},  or  {Petrocossyphus};  as  the  European  rock 
  thrush  ({M.  saxatilis}),  and  the  blue  rock  thrush  of  India 
  ({M.  cyaneus}),  in  which  the  male  is  blue  throughout. 
 
  {Rock  tripe}  (Bot.),  a  kind  of  lichen  ({Umbilicaria 
  Dillenii})  growing  on  rocks  in  the  northen  parts  of 
  America,  and  forming  broad,  flat,  coriaceous,  dark  fuscous 
  or  blackish  expansions.  It  has  been  used  as  food  in  cases 
  of  extremity. 
 
  {Rock  trout}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  several  species  of  marine 
  food  fishes  of  the  genus  {Hexagrammus},  family 
  {Chirad[ae]},  native  of  the  North  Pacific  coasts;  -- 
  called  also  {sea  trout},  {boregat},  {bodieron},  and 
  {starling}. 
 
  {Rock  warbler}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  small  Australian  singing  bird 
  ({Origma  rubricata})  which  frequents  rocky  ravines  and 
  water  courses;  --  called  also  {cataract  bird}. 
 
  {Rock  wren}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  several  species  of  wrens 
  of  the  genus  {Salpinctes},  native  of  the  arid  plains  of 
  Lower  California  and  Mexico. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Starling  \Star"ling\,  n.  [OE.  sterlyng,  a  dim.  of  OE  stare,  AS 
  st[ae]r;  akin  to  AS  stearn,  G.  star,  staar,  OHG.  stara, 
  Icel.  starri,  stari,  Sw  stare,  Dan.  st[ae]r,  L.  sturnus.  Cf 
  {Stare}  a  starling.] 
  1.  (Zo["o]l.)  Any  passerine  bird  belonging  to  {Sturnus}  and 
  allied  genera.  The  European  starling  ({Sturnus  vulgaris}) 
  is  dark  brown  or  greenish  black,  with  a  metallic  gloss, 
  and  spotted  with  yellowish  white.  It  is  a  sociable  bird, 
  and  builds  about  houses,  old  towers,  etc  Called  also 
  {stare},  and  {starred}.  The  pied  starling  of  India  is 
  {Sternopastor  contra}. 
 
  2.  (Zo["o]l.)  A  California  fish;  the  rock  trout. 
 
  3.  A  structure  of  piles  driven  round  the  piers  of  a  bridge 
  for  protection  and  support;  --  called  also  {sterling}. 
 
  {Rose-colored  starling}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Pastor}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  starling 
  n  :  gregarious  birds  native  to  the  Old  World 

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