rogue

[ rohg ]

adjective

1. no longer obedient, belonging, or accepted and hence not controllable or answerable; renegade:

   They described him as a rogue cop who had abandoned his training.

2. dangerous and unpredictable:

   They were trapped in the house by a rogue snowstorm.

3. of or noting a nation or state that defies international treaties, laws, etc.:

   The blame is placed on rogue states that threaten world peace.

4. (of an animal) having an abnormally violent or unpredictable disposition:

   She helped trap a rogue tiger terrorizing the village.

noun

1. a dishonest, untrustworthy person; scoundrel:

   We were traveling in secret to avoid running into rogues and thieves.

   Synonyms: swindler, quack, mountebank, cheat, trickster, villain

2. a playfully mischievous person; scamp:

   The youngest boys are little rogues.

3. Archaic. a tramp or vagabond.
4. an animal having an abnormally violent or unpredictable disposition.
5. Biology. a usually inferior organism, especially a plant, varying markedly from the normal.

verb (used with object)

, rogued, ro·guing.

1. 1. to uproot or destroy (plants that do not conform to a desired standard):

      Usually, roguing the diseased plants is sufficient to minimize further spread.

   2. to perform this operation upon:

      to rogue a field.

2. to cheat.

verb (used without object)

, rogued, ro·guing.

1. to live or act as a scoundrel, vagabond, or scamp.

rogue

/ rəʊɡ /

noun

1. a dishonest or unprincipled person, esp a man; rascal; scoundrel
2. humorous.
   a mischievous or wayward person, often a child; scamp
3. a crop plant which is inferior, diseased, or of a different, unwanted variety
4. 1. any inferior or defective specimen
   2. ( as modifier )

      rogue heroin

5. archaic.
   a vagrant
6. 1. an animal of vicious character that has separated from the main herd and leads a solitary life
   2. ( as modifier )

      a rogue elephant

verb

1. 1. tr to rid (a field or crop) of plants that are inferior, diseased, or of an unwanted variety
   2. to identify and remove such plants

Other Words From

• out·rogue verb (used with object) outrogued outroguing

Word History and Origins

Origin of rogue¹

First recorded in 1555–65; origin uncertain, apparently short for obsolete roger “begging vagabond,” originally thieves' jargon

Word History and Origins

Origin of rogue¹

C16: of unknown origin; perhaps related to Latin rogāre to beg

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go rogue, to stop being obedient or predictable; to behave in a way that is not allowed or expected:

   Giving people the tools they need to do their jobs greatly reduces the risk of employees going rogue and using unauthorized services.

   To make more money, the agent went rogue and sold his services to the highest bidder.

Synonym Study

See knave.

Example Sentences

The government wants a regulator to be able to "improve the resilience of club finances, tackle rogue owners and directors and strengthen fan engagement".

From BBC

Why did this charming rogue appeal to you as a character?

From Salon

Mr Fisher and his rogue agency have treated its clients appallingly, leading to the loss of significant amounts of money owed to them.”

From BBC

Two: If an attempt is made to prosecute Jeffrey Clark, say, by a rogue U.S. attorney in the state where the bank is located, Trump can immediately pardon Clark.

From Salon

It had been suggested DP World might shelve the plan after Transport Secretary Louise Haigh described P&O Ferries as a "rogue operator".

From BBC

Related Words

• con artist
• crook
• rascal
• swindler
• villain