New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
Roughneck — (or ruffneck) is a slang term for an unskilled or slightly skilled labourer in a number of industries. In particular, it is the official name of a semi skilled role on a North American oil rig. In Australia, a roughneck is known as an… … Wikipedia
roughneck — ☆ roughneck [ruf′nek΄ ] n. 1. Informal a rough, crude person, esp. one who is quarrelsome and disorderly; rowdy 2. a worker on an oil drilling rig, esp. a member of the crew which feeds pipe into the well vi. to work as a roughneck roughnecking n … English World dictionary
roughneck — (n.) also rough neck, 1836, rugged individual, from ROUGH (Cf. rough) (adj.) + NECK (Cf. neck) (n.). Original context is the Texas frontier, later adpoted to labor organization toughs. Specific sense of oil rig worker is recorded from 1917 … Etymology dictionary
roughneck — ► NOUN 1) informal a rough, uncouth person. 2) an oil rig worker … English terms dictionary
roughneck — [[t]rʌ̱fnek[/t]] roughnecks 1) N COUNT A roughneck is a man who operates an oil well. [mainly AM, INFORMAL] 2) N COUNT (disapproval) If you describe a man as a roughneck, you disapprove of him because you think he is not gentle or polite, and can … English dictionary
roughneck — UK [ˈrʌfˌnek] / US noun [countable] Word forms roughneck : singular roughneck plural roughnecks informal 1) someone who behaves in a rude or threatening way 2) someone who works on an oil rig … English dictionary
roughneck — /ruf nek /, n. 1. a rough, coarse person; a tough. 2. any laborer working on an oil drilling rig. Cf. roustabout (def. 4). v.i. 3. to work as a roughneck. [1830 40, Amer.; ROUGH + NECK] * * * … Universalium
roughneck — rough•neck [[t]ˈrʌfˌnɛk[/t]] n. 1) a rough, coarse person; tough 2) a laborer working on an oil drilling rig 3) cvb to work as a roughneck • Etymology: 1830–40 … From formal English to slang
roughneck — {n.} A low, coarse fellow. * /The only boys in the neighborhood are a bunch of roughnecks, and Mrs. Smith is unhappy about the fact that her son is rapidly becoming one of them./ … Dictionary of American idioms
roughneck — {n.} A low, coarse fellow. * /The only boys in the neighborhood are a bunch of roughnecks, and Mrs. Smith is unhappy about the fact that her son is rapidly becoming one of them./ … Dictionary of American idioms
