Part 383

Rock"er, n. 1. One who rocks; specifically, one who rocks a cradle.

It was I, sir, said the rocker, who had the honor, some thirty years since, to attend on your highness in your infancy.

Fuller.

2. One of the curving pieces of wood or metal on which a cradle, chair, etc., rocks.

3. Any implement or machine working with a rocking motion, as a trough mounted on rockers for separating gold dust from gravel, etc., by agitation in water.

4. A play horse on rockers; a rocking- horse.

5. A chair mounted on rockers; a rocking- chair.

6. A skate with a curved blade, somewhat resembling in shape the rocker of a cradle.

7. (Mach.) Same as Rock shaft.

Rocker arm (Mach.), an arm borne by a rock shaft.

Rock"ered (?), a. (Naut.) Shaped like a rocker; curved; as, a rockered keel.

Rock"er*y (?), n. (Gardening) A mound formed of fragments of rock, earth, etc., and set with plants.

Rock"et (?), n. [F. roquette (cf. Sp. ruqueta, It ruchetta), fr. L. eruca.] (Bot.) (a) A cruciferous plant (Eruca sativa) sometimes eaten in Europe as a salad. (b) Damewort. (c) Rocket larkspur. See below.

Dyer's Rocket. (Bot.) See Dyer's broom, under Broom. -- Rocket larkspur (Bot.), an annual plant with showy flowers in long racemes (Delphinium Ajacis). -- Sea rocket (Bot.), either of two fleshy cruciferous plants (Cakile maritima and C. Americana) found on the seashore of Europe and America. -- Yellow rocket (Bot.), a common cruciferous weed with yellow flowers (Barbarea vulgaris).

Rock"et (?), n. [It. rocchetta, fr. rocca a distaff, of German origin. Named from the resemblance in shape to a distaff. See Rock a distaff.] 1. An artificial firework consisting of a cylindrical case of paper or metal filled with a composition of combustible ingredients, as niter, charcoal, and sulphur, and fastened to a guiding stick. The rocket is projected through the air by the force arising from the expansion of the gases liberated by combustion of the composition. Rockets are used as projectiles for various purposes, for signals, and also for pyrotechnic display.

2. A blunt lance head used in the joust.

Congreve rocket, a powerful form of rocket for use in war, invented by Sir William Congreve. It may be used either in the field or for bombardment; in the former case, it is armed with shells or case shot; in the latter, with a combustible material inclosed in a metallic case, which is inextinguishable when kindled, and scatters its fire on every side.

Rock"et, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Rocketed; p. pr. & vb. n. Rocketing.] (Sporting) To rise straight up; said of birds; usually in the present participle or as an adjective. [Eng.]

An old cock pheasant came rocketing over me.

H. R. Haggard.

Rock"et*er (?), n. (Sporting) A bird, especially a pheasant, which, being flushed, rises straight in the air like a rocket. [Eng.]

Rock"fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several California scorpænoid food fishes of the genus Sebastichthys, as the red rockfish (S. ruber). They are among the most important of California market fishes. Called also rock cod, and garrupa. (b) The striped bass. See Bass. (c) Any one of several species of Florida and Bermuda groupers of the genus Epinephelus. (d) An American fresh- water darter; the log perch.

The term is locally applied to various other fishes.

Rock"i*ness (?), n. [From Rocky.] The state or quality of being rocky.

Rock"ing, a. Having a swaying, rolling, or back-and-forth movement; used for rocking.

Rocking shaft. (Mach.) See Rock shaft.

Rock"ing-chair` (?), n. A chair mounted on rockers, in which one may rock.

Rock"ing-horse` (?), n. The figure of a horse, mounted upon rockers, for children to ride.