rock-'n'-roll

or rock-and-roll, rock 'n' roll

[ rok-uhn-rohl ]

noun

1. a style of popular music that derives in part from blues and folk music and is marked by a heavily accented beat and a simple, repetitive phrase structure.

adjective

1. of or relating to this music.

verb (used without object)

1. to dance to or play rock-'n'-roll.

rock 'n' roll

1. Popular music combining elements of blues (or rhythm and blues), gospel music , and country and western music , and known for its strong beat and urgent lyrics. Well-known early, pioneering rock 'n' roll artists or groups include Chuck Berry , Buddy Holly, the Supremes, the Beatles , the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley .

Other Words From

• rock-'n'-roller noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rock-'n'-roll¹

1950–55; contraction of phrase rock and roll; rock ²

Example Sentences

So was grunge rocker Kurt Cobain when he died of suicide in 1994 and rock ‘n’ roll queen Janis Joplin when she succumbed to a heroin overdose in 1970.

From Los Angeles Times

One advantage to forgoing a showy rock ’n’ roll persona is that you never get too old to pull it off.

From Los Angeles Times

During all this, the band was able to record two pivotal studio albums: “Workingman’s Dead” and “American Beauty,” lively, folk-inflected rock ’n’ roll records that contained many of the band’s enduring songs, including “Uncle John’s Band,” “Casey Jones,” “Friend of the Devil,” “Sugar Magnolia” and Lesh and Hunter’s “Box of Rain.”

From Los Angeles Times

A rock ’n’ roll novice when he joined the nascent Dead in 1964, Lesh helped shape the band’s psychedelic aesthetic, especially during its early days when members devoted a portion of their time to exploring the possibilities of the recording studio.

From Los Angeles Times

The fact that Lesh didn’t know how to play bass and only recently had developed an interest in rock ’n’ roll, let alone shown an inclination to play it, caused no concern.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• popular music