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Meaning & use

rock and roller

noun·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˌrɒk ən ˈrəʊlə/
US/ˌrɑːk ən ˈroʊlɚ/

Meanings

  1. nouncountablemusic

    A musician who plays rock and roll, especially one from the style's early years in the 1950s.

    Grammar: A normal countable noun: one rock and roller, two rock and rollers.

    Patterns

    • a rock and roller from somewhere

    Little Richard was one of the great rock and rollers of the fifties.

    My grandfather was a rock and roller who toured small towns in a battered van.

    The museum has a room full of guitars once owned by famous rock and rollers.

  2. nouncountableinformalhumorous

    A person who loves rock music, or who lives with the wild, carefree style linked to it.

    Grammar: Used about fans or a lifestyle, often with a friendly or joking tone.

    Patterns

    • a true rock and roller

    At seventy, she is still a rock and roller who dresses in leather and loves a loud concert.

    He may look like an accountant, but he is a rock and roller at heart.

Word forms

pluralrock and rollers

Common combinations

an old-time rock and roller
The old-time rock and roller still played every Friday at the bar.
a rock and roller at heart
Behind his suit, he's a rock and roller at heart.
a legendary rock and roller
The legendary rock and roller was honored at the awards.
a born rock and roller
Even as a child she was a born rock and roller.

Synonyms and how they differ

rocker
This is the everyday short form and covers all rock styles, while 'rock and roller' often points to the early 1950s sound.
rock star
This stresses fame and celebrity, whereas a rock and roller may be unknown.
rock musician
This is a plain, neutral phrase with none of the playful, nostalgic feel of 'rock and roller'.

Word family

rock and roll noun
the music style that began in the 1950s
rock noun
the wider family of loud guitar-based music
rocker noun
a rock musician or fan
roll verb
to turn over and over, as in the second half of the phrase

Commonly confused: rock and roller or rocker?

rock and roller vs rocker

A rocker can also be a rocking chair or a rocking part of a machine, while a rock and roller is always a person linked to the music.

Practice

Which person is best described as a 'rock and roller'?

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