roc
/rɔk/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- 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
- mythical bird of prey having enormous size and strength