I am a huge dork
I love the OED; it's fun. Word morphologies and orgins rock.
c. colloq. (orig. U.S.). To cause to move with musical rhythm, esp. with the beat of ROCK n.3 2b. Occas. (esp. in early use) with sexual connotations (see also sense 7b).
1922 T. SMITH in Godrich & Dixon Blues & Gospel Records 1902-1942 (1969) 648 (song-title) My man rocks me (with one steady roll). 1938 C. CALLOWAY Hi de Ho in R. S. Gold Jazz Lexicon (1964) 256 Rock me, send me, kill me, move me with rhythm. 1939 W. HOBSON Amer. Jazz Music (1940) iii. 54 Albert Ammon's Boogie Woogie Stomp.., in jazz slang, might be said to ‘rock the joint’. Ibid. iv. 87 Simple jazz-rhythmic phrases..may be blasted out by players with enough lip and lung strength in a way that will ‘rock’ the crowd. 1951 DAVIS & HUNTER Rock Little Baby (song) 3 Some girls like men who are big and strong, You'll be my man, Just as long as you Rock little daddy, Work little daddy, Rock little daddy, Rock me all night long. 1956 B. HOLIDAY Lady sings Blues (1973) xi. 103 We used to rock that joint. 1961 Jazz Notes Feb.-Mar. 39, I don't remember anyone who could ‘rock’ a Kenilworth audience before! 1972 Even. Telegram (St. John's, Newfoundland) 24 June 10/4 Joan Morrissey and a group known as The Commanders Showband were ‘really rockin' 'er’ at the Staff Club. 1977 Rolling Stone 7 Apr. 3/2 (Advt.), Boston, man. They really rock and roll. They rocked the place apart.
d. fig. To distress, perturb, upset; to surprise, startle, dumbfound. to rock the boat: see BOAT n. 1d. colloq.
1940 E. POUND Cantos lii. 11 Gold brokers made profit Rocked the exchange against gold. 1941 Argus Weekend Mag. (Melbourne) 15 Nov. 1/3 Another universal favourite [in Australia] is still the famous ‘Wouldn't it !’ Never given the final words (the completed sentence has several variants on ‘Wouldn't it rock you!’ or ‘Wouldn't it rip you!’), the exclamation depends upon inflexion as to whether it conveys disgust, amazement, or pleasure. 1947 N. MARSH Final Curtain ix. 139 Has Troy seen about the Will?... It'll rock them considerably. 1951 Sun (Baltimore) 9 June B1/1 His diplomatic phrasing wrapped the punch in polite words, but Grady was nonetheless rocked. 1955 ‘N. SHUTE’ Requiem for Wren vii. 197 It turned out you were a Rhodes scholar, which rocked her a bit. 1960 Sunday Express 24 July 1/3 It is not only from the Opposition that Mr. Macmillan can expect criticism. His decision will rock the Tory Party too. 1966 [see OFF-BROADWAY n.]. 1981 Observer 22 Mar. 7 (heading) New sex scandals rock Washington.
6. a. intr. To sway to and fro under some impact or stress; to move or swing from side to side; to oscillate. Also dial., to stagger or reel in walking.
1398 TREVISA Barth. De P.R. V. xx. (Bodl. MS.), Somtyme tee rokke and wagge. a1460 Lybeaus Disc. 1621 Syr Lambard..rokkede yn his sadell, As chyld doth yn a kradell. 1530 PALSGR. 693/1, I love nat to lye in his house, for if there be any wynde styrryng, one shall rocke to and fro in his bedde. 1593 SHAKES. Lucr. 262 And how her hand, in my hand being lock'd, Forced it to tremble..and then it faster rock'd. 1600 HEYWOOD 1st Pt. Edw. IV, IV. iv, Thou hast two ploughs going, and ne'er a cradle rocking. 1695 BLACKMORE Pr. Arth. IV. 224 He rocks with every Wind. 1718 RAMSAY Christ's Kirk Gr. III. xiv, Some fell, and some gaed rockin. 1797-1805 S. & HT. LEE Cant. T. II. 145 The earth rocked beneath his feet. 1820 SHELLEY Prometh. Unb. I. i. 68 As thunder, louder than your own, made rock The orbed world! 1850 TENNYSON In Mem. Concl. 63 The blind wall rocks, and on the trees The dead leaf trembles to the bells. 1898 Daily News 24 Nov. 7/3 Sharkey..sent his right straight in Corbett's face, making his head rock.
fig. 1861 Sat. Rev. 23 Nov. 534 The rapid fluctuations of prevalent belief which this generation has witnessed, have necessarily set many minds rocking more or less. 1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 824 Not only does it..pacify the organ rocking under the tumult of its unbalanced parts [etc.].
c. colloq. (orig. U.S.). To cause to move with musical rhythm, esp. with the beat of ROCK n.3 2b. Occas. (esp. in early use) with sexual connotations (see also sense 7b).
1922 T. SMITH in Godrich & Dixon Blues & Gospel Records 1902-1942 (1969) 648 (song-title) My man rocks me (with one steady roll). 1938 C. CALLOWAY Hi de Ho in R. S. Gold Jazz Lexicon (1964) 256 Rock me, send me, kill me, move me with rhythm. 1939 W. HOBSON Amer. Jazz Music (1940) iii. 54 Albert Ammon's Boogie Woogie Stomp.., in jazz slang, might be said to ‘rock the joint’. Ibid. iv. 87 Simple jazz-rhythmic phrases..may be blasted out by players with enough lip and lung strength in a way that will ‘rock’ the crowd. 1951 DAVIS & HUNTER Rock Little Baby (song) 3 Some girls like men who are big and strong, You'll be my man, Just as long as you Rock little daddy, Work little daddy, Rock little daddy, Rock me all night long. 1956 B. HOLIDAY Lady sings Blues (1973) xi. 103 We used to rock that joint. 1961 Jazz Notes Feb.-Mar. 39, I don't remember anyone who could ‘rock’ a Kenilworth audience before! 1972 Even. Telegram (St. John's, Newfoundland) 24 June 10/4 Joan Morrissey and a group known as The Commanders Showband were ‘really rockin' 'er’ at the Staff Club. 1977 Rolling Stone 7 Apr. 3/2 (Advt.), Boston, man. They really rock and roll. They rocked the place apart.
d. fig. To distress, perturb, upset; to surprise, startle, dumbfound. to rock the boat: see BOAT n. 1d. colloq.
1940 E. POUND Cantos lii. 11 Gold brokers made profit Rocked the exchange against gold. 1941 Argus Weekend Mag. (Melbourne) 15 Nov. 1/3 Another universal favourite [in Australia] is still the famous ‘Wouldn't it !’ Never given the final words (the completed sentence has several variants on ‘Wouldn't it rock you!’ or ‘Wouldn't it rip you!’), the exclamation depends upon inflexion as to whether it conveys disgust, amazement, or pleasure. 1947 N. MARSH Final Curtain ix. 139 Has Troy seen about the Will?... It'll rock them considerably. 1951 Sun (Baltimore) 9 June B1/1 His diplomatic phrasing wrapped the punch in polite words, but Grady was nonetheless rocked. 1955 ‘N. SHUTE’ Requiem for Wren vii. 197 It turned out you were a Rhodes scholar, which rocked her a bit. 1960 Sunday Express 24 July 1/3 It is not only from the Opposition that Mr. Macmillan can expect criticism. His decision will rock the Tory Party too. 1966 [see OFF-BROADWAY n.]. 1981 Observer 22 Mar. 7 (heading) New sex scandals rock Washington.
6. a. intr. To sway to and fro under some impact or stress; to move or swing from side to side; to oscillate. Also dial., to stagger or reel in walking.
1398 TREVISA Barth. De P.R. V. xx. (Bodl. MS.), Somtyme tee rokke and wagge. a1460 Lybeaus Disc. 1621 Syr Lambard..rokkede yn his sadell, As chyld doth yn a kradell. 1530 PALSGR. 693/1, I love nat to lye in his house, for if there be any wynde styrryng, one shall rocke to and fro in his bedde. 1593 SHAKES. Lucr. 262 And how her hand, in my hand being lock'd, Forced it to tremble..and then it faster rock'd. 1600 HEYWOOD 1st Pt. Edw. IV, IV. iv, Thou hast two ploughs going, and ne'er a cradle rocking. 1695 BLACKMORE Pr. Arth. IV. 224 He rocks with every Wind. 1718 RAMSAY Christ's Kirk Gr. III. xiv, Some fell, and some gaed rockin. 1797-1805 S. & HT. LEE Cant. T. II. 145 The earth rocked beneath his feet. 1820 SHELLEY Prometh. Unb. I. i. 68 As thunder, louder than your own, made rock The orbed world! 1850 TENNYSON In Mem. Concl. 63 The blind wall rocks, and on the trees The dead leaf trembles to the bells. 1898 Daily News 24 Nov. 7/3 Sharkey..sent his right straight in Corbett's face, making his head rock.
fig. 1861 Sat. Rev. 23 Nov. 534 The rapid fluctuations of prevalent belief which this generation has witnessed, have necessarily set many minds rocking more or less. 1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 824 Not only does it..pacify the organ rocking under the tumult of its unbalanced parts [etc.].