rocky

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Covered with or full of rocks.

   The path along the rocky shore was hard to walk on.

2. 2
   adj

   Full of difficulties; unstable or uncertain.

   Their marriage went through a rocky period.

3. 3
   adj

   Not steady; likely to wobble.

   The table was rocky, so we put a book under one leg.

From Middle English rokki, rokky (“rocky”), from rok, rokke (“rock; a rock or stone; large rock by a coast or in the sea; rocky outcrop on a mountain, cliff; castle, citadel, stronghold”) [and other forms] + -i (suffix forming adjectives). Rok, rokke are derived from: * Old English *rocc (“rock”); and * Anglo-Norman roc, roce, roque, and Old French roce, roke, roque, variants of roche (“rock”); both from Medieval Latin roca, rocca; further etymology uncertain, possibly of Celtic origin. The English word is analysable as rock + -y (suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘having the quality of’).

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