rook

rook
rook1
/rook/, n.
1. a black, European crow, Corvus frugilegus, noted for its gregarious habits.
2. a sharper at cards or dice; swindler.
v.t.
3. to cheat; fleece; swindle.
[bef. 900; ME rok(e), OE hroc; c. ON hrokr, OHG hruoh]
rook2
/rook/, n. Chess.
one of two pieces of the same color that may be moved any number of unobstructed squares horizontally or vertically; castle.
[1300-50; ME rok < OF roc < Ar rukhkh < Pers rukh]

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Most abundant Eurasian bird (Corvus frugilegus) of the crow family (Corvidae).

Rooks, 18 in. (45 cm) long, are black and have shaggy thigh feathers and bare white skin at the base of the sharp bill. They are migratory and range discontinuously from Britain to Iran and Manchuria. They dig for larvae and worms in meadows and plowed fields. They nest in large colonies (rookeries) in tall trees, sometimes within towns; the nest, solidly constructed of twigs and soil, is used year after year.

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bird
      (Corvus frugilegus), the most abundant Eurasian bird of the crow family Corvidae (q.v.). It resembles the carrion crow in size (45 cm [18 inches]) and in black coloration, but the adult rook usually has shaggy thigh feathers and has bare white skin at the base of its sharp bill. The species ranges discontinuously from England to Iran and Manchuria and is migratory. Rooks nest in large colonies (rookeries) in tall trees, sometimes within towns. Their nests are solidly constructed of twigs and soil and are used year after year. The birds lay three to five light greenish, heavily speckled eggs, and the young are able to fly about a month after birth. Rooks dig for larvae and worms in meadows and plowed fields and may pull up grain seedlings and young potato plants.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Rook — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Rook fue un cohete experimental británico desarrollado a finales de los años 1950 utilizado incialmente para probar modelos de aeronaves a velocidades supersónicas. Utilizaba combustible sólido (con un impulso… …   Wikipedia Español

  • rook — rook·er; rook·ery; rook·ie; rook; …   English syllables

  • rook|ie — or rook|y1 «RUK ee», noun, plural rook|ies. Informal. 1. an inexperienced recruit: »a police rookie, a rookie in the army. 2. a beginner; novice. 3. a new player on an athletic team, especially a professional baseball, football, basketball, or… …   Useful english dictionary

  • rook|y — rook|ie or rook|y1 «RUK ee», noun, plural rook|ies. Informal. 1. an inexperienced recruit: »a police rookie, a rookie in the army. 2. a beginner; novice. 3. a new player on an athletic team, especially a professional baseball, football,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Rook — Rook, n. [F. roc (cf. Sp. roque), fr. Per. & Ar. rokh, or rukh, the rook or castle at chess, also the bird roc (in this sense perhaps a different word); cf. Hind. rath a war chariot, the castle at chess, Skr. ratha a car, a war car. Cf. {Roll}.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Rook — Rook, n. [AS. hr[=o]c; akin to OHG. hruoh, ruoh, ruoho, Icel. hr[=o]kr, Sw. roka, Dan. raage; cf. Goth. hrukjan to crow.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) A European bird ({Corvus frugilegus}) resembling the crow, but smaller. It is black, with purple and violet… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Rook — bezeichnet eine britische Versuchsrakete, siehe Rook (Rakete) ein bestimmtes Piercing in der Ohrmuschel, siehe Rook (Piercing) eine der Hauptpersonen der Klippenland Chroniken Diese Seite ist eine Begrif …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • rook — rook1 [rook] n. [ME roc < OE hroc, akin to Ger ruch < IE echoic base * ker > CROW1, RAVEN1] 1. a gregarious European crow (Corvus frugilegus) with a bare spot by its bill 2. a swindler; cheat vt., vi. [ …   English World dictionary

  • Rook — Rook, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. {Rooked}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Rooking}.] To cheat; to defraud by cheating. A band of rooking officials. Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Rook — (r[oo^]k), n. Mist; fog. See {Roke}. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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