Definition

1. Noun:
   • A mythical bird of prey of enormous size and strength: A "roc" is a legendary, gigantic bird found primarily in Middle Eastern and South Asian folklore, often described as being powerful enough to carry off large animals, including elephants.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • In the tales of Sinbad the Sailor, a roc carried his ship to safety.
  • The roc's egg was said to be as large as a house.
  • Ancient maps sometimes depicted islands inhabited by the fearsome roc.

Advanced Usage

• "Roc's egg": Used to describe something of immense size or value, often metaphorically.
  • Finding a solution to that problem was like finding a roc's egg.
• In similes/comparisons: Used to emphasize great size or power.
  • The new cargo plane was a mechanical roc, capable of lifting tremendous weight.

Variants and Related Words

• Rukh: An alternative spelling for the same mythical creature, often used in historical texts.
  • The explorer Marco Polo wrote of the legendary rukh.

Synonyms

• Thunderbird (in Native American mythology): A powerful, supernatural bird.
• Gryphon/Griffin: Another mythical creature, part eagle and part lion, though distinct from the roc.
• Legendary bird: A general term for mythical avian creatures.

Related Phrases

• As strong as a roc: A phrase emphasizing great physical strength.
  • The weightlifter was as strong as a roc, breaking all records.
• Roc's feather: A hypothetical item denoting something from a grand or mythical source (less common).
  • His story was as fantastical as if it were written with a roc's feather.

Noun

1. mythical bird of prey having enormous size and strength