British English

Folk

folk [noun] (MUSIC)

modern music and songs that are written in a style similar to that of traditional music

/foʊk/

/fəʊk/

Example:

I enjoy listening to folk (music) .

Oxford Essential Dictionary

folk

noun (plural) (British) (American folks)
people:
There are a lot of old folk living in this village.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

folk

I. ˈfolk ˌmusic BrE AmE (also folk) noun [uncountable]
1. traditional music that has been played by ordinary people in a particular area for a long time
2. a style of popular music in which people sing and play ↑guitars, without any electronic equipment

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

folk [folk folks] noun, adjective [fəʊk] [foʊk]

noun
1. (also folks especially in NAmE) plural (informal) people in general
• ordinary working-class folk
• I'd like a job working with old folk or kids.

• the folks back home (= from the place where you come from)

2. folks plural (informal) a friendly way of addressing more than one person

• Well, folks, what are we going to do today?

3. folks plural (informal, especially NAmE) the members of your family, especially your parents

• How are your folks?

4. plural people from a particular country or region, or who have a particular way of life
• country folk
• townsfolk

• farming folk

5. (also ˈfolk music) uncountable music in the traditional style of a country or community

• a folk festival/concert

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

folk / fəʊk / / foʊk / noun [ U ] (MUSIC)

B1 modern music and songs that are written in a style similar to that of traditional music:

I enjoy listening to folk (music) .

folk singers

a folk club/festival

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

folk

[fo͟ʊk]
♦♦♦
folks
(folk can also be used as the plural form for meaning 1.)
1) N-PLURAL: usu with supp You can refer to people as folk or folks.
  Country folk can tell you that there are certain places which animals avoid...
  These are the folks from the local TV station.
  ...old folks.
  Syn:
  people
2) N-PLURAL: usu poss N You can refer to your close family, especially your mother and father, as your folks. [INFORMAL]
  I've been avoiding my folks lately.
3) N-VOC You can use folks as a term of address when you are talking to several people. [INFORMAL]
  `It's a question of money, folks,' I announced...
  This is it, folks: the best record guide in the business.
4) ADJ: ADJ n Folk art and customs are traditional or typical of a particular community or nation.
  ...South American folk art.
  ...traditional Chinese folk medicine.
5) ADJ: ADJ n Folk music is music which is traditional or typical of a particular community or nation.
  ...Irish folk music.
N-UNCOUNT
Folk is also a noun. ...a variety of music including classical, jazz, and folk.
6) ADJ: ADJ n Folk can be used to describe something that relates to the beliefs and opinions of ordinary people.
  Jack was a folk hero in the Greenwich Village bars...
  Folk psychology comes closer to the obvious truth than the most sophisticated theories.
  Syn:
  popular

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹folk /ˈfoʊk/ noun
1 folks [plural]
a chiefly US informal : people in general
• Folks say that house is haunted.
• Some folks think the law should be changed.
b
- used to talk to a group of people in a friendly and informal way
• Do you folks need any help?
• That's all for today, folks—see you tomorrow!
2 or chiefly US folks [plural] informal : a certain kind of people
• a home for old folks
• He doesn't much care for city folk. [=people who live in a city]
• country folk
• the distinctive speech of folks from the South
3 folks [plural] chiefly US informal : family members
• I'll be spending the holidays with my folks. especially; : parents
• His folks gave him everything a kid could want.
4 [noncount] : folk music
• My favorite kind of music is folk.

Classical

classical [adjective] (MUSIC)

describes music that is considered to be part of a long especially formal tradition and to be of lasting value

/ˈklæs.ɪ.kəl/

Example:

Do you prefer classical music like Mozart and Mahler, or pop?

Oxford Essential Dictionary

classical

adjective

1 in a style that people have used for a long time because they think it is good same meaning traditional:
classical dance
opposite modern

2 connected with ancient Greece or Rome:
classical Greek architecture

3 classical music is serious and important:
I prefer pop music to classical music.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

classical

clas‧si‧cal W3 AC /ˈklæsɪkəl/ BrE AmE adjective
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: classicus; ↑classic¹]
1. belonging to a traditional style or set of ideas
classical ballet/dance etc
the classical theory of relativity
2. relating to music that is considered to be important and serious and that has a value that continues for a long time
classical music/musician/composer etc
a leading classical violinist
a classical repertoire
3. relating to the language, literature etc of ancient Greece and Rome:
classical literature
a classical scholar
classical mythology
4. (also classic) typical of a particular thing or situation:
the classical argument against democracy

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

classical

clas·sic·al AW [ˈklæsɪkl] [ˈklæsɪkl] adjective usually before noun
1. widely accepted and used for a long time; traditional in style or idea
• the classical economics of Smith and Ricardo
• the classical theory of unemployment

• classical and modern ballet

2. connected with or influenced by the culture of ancient Greece and Rome
• classical studies
• a classical scholar (= an expert in Latin and Greek)

• classical architecture

3. (of music) written in a Western musical tradition, usually using an established form (for example a symphony ) and not played on electronic instruments. Classical music is generally considered to be serious and to have a lasting value
• He plays classical music, as well as pop and jazz.

• a classical composer/violinist

4. = classic

• These are classical examples of food allergy.

5. (of a language) ancient in its form and no longer used in a spoken form

• classical Arabic

6. simple and attractive
• the classical elegance of the design
Derived Word: classically
Word Origin:
[classical classically] late 16th cent. (in the sense ‘outstanding of its kind’): from Latin classicus ‘belonging to a class’ (later ‘of the highest class’, from classis ‘a division of the Roman people, a grade, or a class of pupils’) + -al.
Collocations:
Music
Listening
listen to/enjoy/love/be into music/classical music/jazz/pop/hip-hop, etc.
listen to the radio/an MP3 player/a CD
put on/play a CD/a song/some music
turn down/up the music/radio/volume/bass
go to a concert/festival/gig/performance/recital
copy/burn/rip music/a CD/a DVD
download music/an album/a song/a demo/a video
Playing
play a musical instrument/the piano/percussion/a note/a riff/the melody/a concerto/a duet/by ear
sing an anthem/a ballad/a solo/an aria/the blues/in a choir/soprano/alto/tenor/bass/out of tune
hum a tune/a theme tune/a lullaby
accompany a singer/choir
strum a chord/guitar
Performing
form/start/get together/join/quit/leave a band
give a performance/concert/recital
do a concert/recital/gig
play a concert/gig/festival/venue
perform (BrE) at/in a concert/(especially NAmE) a concert
appear at a festival/live
go on/embark on a (world) tour
Recording
write/compose music/a ballad/a melody/a tune/a song/a theme song/an opera/a symphony
land/get/sign a record deal
be signed to/be dropped by a record company
record/release/put out an album/a single/a CD
be top of/top the charts
get to/go straight to/go straight in at/enter the charts at number one
Example Bank:

• classical and modern ballet/dance

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

classical / ˈklæs.ɪ.k ə l / adjective (MUSIC)

A2 describes music that is considered to be part of a long especially formal tradition and to be of lasting value:

Do you prefer classical music like Mozart and Mahler, or pop?

specialized describes a style of music written in Europe between about 1750 and 1830:

The works of Haydn and Mozart belong to the classical period.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

classical

[klæ̱sɪk(ə)l]
♦♦♦
1) ADJ: usu ADJ n You use classical to describe something that is traditional in form, style, or content.
  Fokine did not change the steps of classical ballet; instead he found new ways of using them.
  ...the scientific attitude of Smith and earlier classical economists.
  Ant:
  modern
2) ADJ: usu ADJ n Classical music is music that is considered to be serious and of lasting value.
3) ADJ: usu ADJ n Classical is used to describe things which relate to the ancient Greek or Roman civilizations.
  ...the healers of ancient Egypt and classical Greece...
  It's a technological achievement that is unrivalled in the classical world.
  ...classical architecture.
4) ADJ: ADJ n A classical language is a form of a language that was used in ancient times and is now no longer used, or only used in formal writing.
  ...a line of classical Arabic poetry.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

clas·si·cal /ˈklæsɪkəl/ adj
1 [more ~; most ~] : of a kind that has been respected for a long time
• the classical [=traditional] idea of beauty
• classical ballet
2 : of or relating to the ancient Greek and Roman world and especially to its language, literature, art, etc.
• the classical [=ancient] and medieval worlds
• classical literature/art
• the classical tradition
• a classical scholar
3 : relating to music in a European tradition that includes opera and symphony and that is generally considered more serious than other kinds of music
• classical music/composers
4 : teaching ideas about literature, art, science, etc., rather than practical skills
• a classical curriculum/education
5 : very typical : classic
• a classical example of propaganda
• the classical symptoms of the disease

Salsa

salsa [noun] (MUSIC/DANCE)

a type of South American music with a strong beat, or a dance done to this music

/ˈsɑːl.sə/

/ˈsæl.sə/

Example:

A band played salsa, and spectators danced wildly.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

salsa

sal‧sa /ˈsælsə $ ˈsɑːl-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1900-2000; Language: Spanish; Origin: 'sauce', from Latin; ⇨ ↑sauce]
1. a type of Latin American dance music
2. a sauce made from onions, tomatoes, and ↑chillies, that you put on Spanish or Mexican food

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

salsa [salsa salsas] [ˈsælsə] [ˈsɑːlsə] noun

1. uncountable a type of Latin American dance music

2. countable, uncountable a dance performed to this music

3. uncountable a sauce eaten with Mexican food
Word Origin:

Spanish, literally sauce, extended in American Spanish to denote the dance.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

salsa / ˈsæl.sə / / ˈsɑːl- / noun [ S or U ] (MUSIC/DANCE)

a type of South American music with a strong beat, or a dance done to this music

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

salsa

[sæ̱lsə, AM sɑ͟ːlsə]
salsas
1) N-MASS Salsa is a hot, spicy sauce made from onions and tomatoes, usually eaten with Mexican or Spanish food.
2) N-UNCOUNT Salsa is a type of dance music especially popular in Latin America.
A band played salsa, and spectators danced wildly.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

salsa

sal·sa /ˈsɑːlsə/ noun, pl -sas
1 : a spicy sauce made with tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers that is commonly served with Mexican food

[noncount]

• a jar of salsa
• chips and salsa

[count]

• a delicious salsa
2 [count, noncount]
a : a type of popular Latin-American music
• The band was playing salsa.
• a salsa band
b : dancing that is done to salsa music
• We're taking classes in salsa.

Jazz

jazz [noun]

a type of modern music developed by black people in the US, with a rhythm in which the strong notes often come before the beat

/dʒæz/

Example:

a jazz orchestra

Oxford Essential Dictionary

jazz

noun (no plural)
a kind of music with a strong beat:
a jazz band

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

jazz

I. jazz¹ /dʒæz/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Perhaps from Bantu jas 'to cause to dance, excite']
1. a type of music that has a strong beat and parts for performers to play alone:
a jazz band
a jazz club
modern jazz
2. and all that jazz spoken and things like that:
I’m fed up with work, meetings, and all that jazz.
II. jazz² BrE AmE verb
jazz something ↔ up phrasal verb
informal to make something more attractive or exciting:
Jazz up your everyday meals with our new range of seasonings.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

jazz

jazz [jazz jazzes jazzed jazzing] noun, verb [dʒæz] [dʒæz]

noun uncountable
a type of music with strong rhythms, in which the players often improvise (= make up the music as they are playing), originally created by African American musicians
• a jazz band/club
• traditional/modern jazz
• jazz musicians
see also acid jazz
Word Origin:
early 20th cent.: of unknown origin.
Culture:
jazz
Jazz is one of the greatest forms of music originating in the US. The names of its stars are known around the world. Most people have heard of stars like Ella Fitzgerald, ‚Count’ Basie, ‚Duke’ Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Wynton Marsalis, who plays in the traditional style, is one of the best-known jazz musicians today.
Jazz was begun in the South by African Americans. Many of its rhythms came from the work songs and spirituals (= religious songs) of black slaves. New Orleans street bands first made jazz popular. Early forms of jazz created at the beginning of the 20th century were ragtime and the blues. Ragtime musicians included the singer ‚Jelly Roll’ Morton and the composer and piano player Scott Joplin. Famous blues singers included Bessie Smith and later Billie Holiday. Dixieland developed from ragtime and the blues and made a feature of improvisation (= making up the music as it is being played), especially on the trumpet and saxophone. Dixieland stars included Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet.
In the 1920s many African Americans moved north, taking jazz with them, and Chicago and New York became centres for the music. This was the beginning of the big band era. In the 1930s swing music came into fashion and people danced to jazz. Radio and the new recording industry helped to make it even more popular. The big bands were led by Basie, Ellington, Woody Herman, Glenn Miller, and ‚the King of Swing’, Benny Goodman. In the 1940s there were new styles such as bebop, developed by ‚Dizzy’ Gillespie, Charlie ‚Bird’ Parker and Thelonious Monk. Freer forms like progressive jazz and free jazz developed in the 1950s with stars including Stan Getz, John Coltrane and Dave Brubeck. Cool jazz followed in the 1960s, led by Getz and Miles Davis. More recent styles have included funky jazz, jazz-rock and hip-hop jazz.
In Britain jazz attracts a small but enthusiastic audience. The height of its popularity was in the 1940s and 1950s, when large crowds gathered to hear big bands. British jazz has always been heavily influenced by US jazz. In the 1960s pop and rock music replaced jazz as the music of the young generation. There are now few jazz bands, although smaller combos (= groups) continue to play a wide range of trad (= traditional), bebop, cool and avant-garde jazz. The most famous British jazz musicians have included Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine, George Melly, Humphrey Lyttleton and Courtney Pine. The home of jazz in Britain is Ronnie Scott's club in London.
Collocations:
Music
Listening
listen to/enjoy/love/be into music/classical music/jazz/pop/hip-hop, etc.
listen to the radio/an MP3 player/a CD
put on/play a CD/a song/some music
turn down/up the music/radio/volume/bass
go to a concert/festival/gig/performance/recital
copy/burn/rip music/a CD/a DVD
download music/an album/a song/a demo/a video
Playing
play a musical instrument/the piano/percussion/a note/a riff/the melody/a concerto/a duet/by ear
sing an anthem/a ballad/a solo/an aria/the blues/in a choir/soprano/alto/tenor/bass/out of tune
hum a tune/a theme tune/a lullaby
accompany a singer/choir
strum a chord/guitar
Performing
form/start/get together/join/quit/leave a band
give a performance/concert/recital
do a concert/recital/gig
play a concert/gig/festival/venue
perform (BrE) at/in a concert/(especially NAmE) a concert
appear at a festival/live
go on/embark on a (world) tour
Recording
write/compose music/a ballad/a melody/a tune/a song/a theme song/an opera/a symphony
land/get/sign a record deal
be signed to/be dropped by a record company
record/release/put out an album/a single/a CD
be top of/top the charts
get to/go straight to/go straight in at/enter the charts at number one
Example Bank:
• the rising stars of the New York jazz scene
Idiom: and all that jazz

Derived: jazz something up

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

jazz / dʒæz / noun [ U ]

A2 a type of modern music developed by black people in the US, with a rhythm in which the strong notes often come before the beat. Jazz is usually improvised (= invented as it is played) .

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

jazz

[ʤæ̱z]
♦♦♦
jazzes, jazzing, jazzed
N-UNCOUNT: oft N n
Jazz is a style of music that was invented by African American musicians in the early part of the twentieth century. Jazz music has very strong rhythms and often involves improvisation.
The pub has live jazz on Sundays.
...the great American jazz pianist George Shearing.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

jazz

²jazz verb jazz·es; jazzed; jazz·ing
jazz up [phrasal verb] jazz up (something) or jazz (something) up informal : to make (something) more interesting, exciting, or attractive
• The company wants to jazz up its image.
• She tried to jazz the room up with a new rug.

Hip-Hop

hip-hop [noun]

a type of popular music in which the subject of the songs is often politics or society and the words are spoken rather than sung

/ˈhɪp.hɑːp/

/ˈhɪp.hɒp/

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

hip hop

ˈhip hop BrE AmE, hip-hop noun [uncountable]
1. a type of popular dance music with a regular heavy beat and spoken words ⇨ rap
2. a type of popular ↑culture that began among young African-Americans in big cities, which includes hip hop music, dancing, and ↑graffiti art

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hip hop

ˈhip hop noun uncountable

1. a type of popular music with spoken words and a steady beat played on electronic instruments, originally played by young African Americans

2. the culture of the young African Americans and others who enjoy this type of music, including special styles of art, dancing, dress, etc.
Word Origin:

[hip hop] 1980s: reduplication probably based on hip ‘fashionable’.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ˈ hip-hop / ˈhɪp.hɒp / / -hɑːp / noun [ U ]

A2 a type of popular music in which the subject of the songs is often politics or society and the words are spoken rather than sung

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

hip-hop

N-UNCOUNT: oft N n
Hip-hop is a form of popular culture which started among young black people in the United States in the 1980s. It includes rap music and graffiti art.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

hip-hop

hip–hop /ˈhɪpˌhɑːp/ noun [noncount] : rap music
• I listen to hip-hop and reggae.
• a hip-hop artist also; : the culture associated with rap music

Pop

pop [noun] (MUSIC)

modern popular music, usually with a strong beat, created with electrical or electronic equipment, and easy to listen to and remember

/pɑːp/

/pɒp/

Example:

a pop concert

Oxford Essential Dictionary

noun

1 (no plural) (also pop music) modern music that is most popular among young people:
What's your favourite pop group?
a pop singer

2 (plural pops) a short sharp sound:
The cork came out of the bottle with a loud pop.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

II. pop² S3 W3 BrE AmE noun
[Sense 1,7: Date: 1800-1900; Origin: popular]
[Sense 2-5: Date: 1400-1500; Origin: ⇨ ↑pop¹]
[Sense 6: Date: 1800-1900; Origin: poppa]
1. MUSIC [uncountable] modern music that is popular, especially with young people, and usually consists of simple tunes with a strong beat ⇨ pop music:
a new pop record
a pop star
a pop festival
2. SOUND [countable] a sudden short sound like a small explosion:
the pop of a champagne cork
The balloon went pop (=made a sudden short sound).
3. DRINK [uncountable and countable] informal a sweet drink with bubbles but no alcohol, or a glass or can of this drink SYN soda:
a bottle of pop
Can you get me a pop while you’re up?
4. take a pop at somebody British English informal to criticize someone in public:
When you’re a professional footballer, you expect people to take a pop at you now and again.
5. $7/$50/25¢ etc a pop American English spoken used when each of something costs a particular amount of money:
Tickets for the show are a hundred bucks a pop.
6. FATHER [countable] (also Pops) American English old-fashioned father – used especially when you are talking to your father
7. pops American English ↑classical music that most people know, especially people who do not usually like this type of music:
a pops concert
the Boston Pops Orchestra
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ father a male parent: My father’s a doctor. | He’s a father of three.
▪ dad informal used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: Can I borrow your car, Dad? | Her dad retired ten years ago. | My dad was in the army.
▪ daddy a name for father, which is used especially by young children or when you are talking to young children: Where’s your daddy? | Daddy, can I have a drink, please?
▪ pop American English informal (also pa old-fashioned) used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: I helped Pop fix the gate this morning. | Can I help, Pa? | He is in New York with his Pop's credit card, eating all the ice cream and pizza the city has to offer.
▪ papa old-fashioned informal used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: Papa had forbidden me to go. | She saw her papa 's face change at this news.
▪ sb’s old man informal someone's father – used when talking about him in a way that is not very respectful: His old man wouldn’t let him use the car.
▪ stepfather (also stepdad informal) a man who is married to your mother, who is not your father but often acts as your parent: Her stepfather is really nice.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

pop

pop [pop pops popped popping] noun, verb, adjective, adverb [pɒp] [pɑːp]

noun

MUSIC
1. (also ˈpop music) uncountable popular music of the sort that has been popular since the 1950s, usually with a strong rhythm and simple tunes, often contrasted with rock, soul and other forms of popular music

• rock, pop and soul

SOUND

2. countable a short sharp explosive sound

• The cork came out of the bottle with a loud pop.

DRINK

3. uncountable (old-fashioned, informal) a sweet fizzy drink (= with bubbles) that is not alcoholic

FATHER
4. singular (informal, especially NAmE) used as a word for ‘father’, especially as a form of address
• Hi, Pop!
Word Origin:
n. senses 3 to 4 and v. adv. and late Middle English ‘a blow, knock’ ‘to strike’
n. sense 1 and adj. late 19th cent. popular
n. sense 2 mid 19th cent. poppa

Collocations:
Music
Listening
listen to/enjoy/love/be into music/classical music/jazz/pop/hip-hop, etc.
listen to the radio/an MP3 player/a CD
put on/play a CD/a song/some music
turn down/up the music/radio/volume/bass
go to a concert/festival/gig/performance/recital
copy/burn/rip music/a CD/a DVD
download music/an album/a song/a demo/a video
Playing
play a musical instrument/the piano/percussion/a note/a riff/the melody/a concerto/a duet/by ear
sing an anthem/a ballad/a solo/an aria/the blues/in a choir/soprano/alto/tenor/bass/out of tune
hum a tune/a theme tune/a lullaby
accompany a singer/choir
strum a chord/guitar
Performing
form/start/get together/join/quit/leave a band
give a performance/concert/recital
do a concert/recital/gig
play a concert/gig/festival/venue
perform (BrE) at/in a concert/(especially NAmE) a concert
appear at a festival/live
go on/embark on a (world) tour
Recording
write/compose music/a ballad/a melody/a tune/a song/a theme song/an opera/a symphony
land/get/sign a record deal
be signed to/be dropped by a record company
record/release/put out an album/a single/a CD
be top of/top the charts
get to/go straight to/go straight in at/enter the charts at number one
Example Bank:
• The cork came out with a loud pop.
• The eight compilations range from teen pop to classical.
Idioms: go pop ▪ have a pop ▪ pop the question ▪ pop your clogs ▪ … a pop

Derived: pop off ▪ pop something on

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

pop / pɒp / / pɑːp / noun [ U ] ( formal popular music ) (MUSIC)

A2 modern popular music, usually with a strong beat, created with electrical or electronic equipment, and easy to listen to and remember:

pop music

a pop concert/song

What do you want to listen to - jazz, classical or pop?

The song reached No. 32 in the pop charts .

She wants to be a pop singer/star like Madonna.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

pop

[pɒ̱p]
♦♦♦
pops, popping, popped
1) N-UNCOUNT: oft N n Pop is modern music that usually has a strong rhythm and uses electronic equipment.
  ...the perfect combination of Caribbean rhythms, European pop, and American soul...
  Which great British pop band had a hit with `In the Army Now'?
  ...a life-size poster of a pop star...
  I know nothing about pop music.
2) N-UNCOUNT You can refer to fizzy drinks such as lemonade as pop. [mainly BRIT, INFORMAL]
  He still visits the village shop for buns and fizzy pop.
  ...glass pop bottles.(in AM, usually use soda pop)
3) N-COUNT; SOUND Pop is used to represent a short sharp sound, for example the sound made by bursting a balloon or by pulling a cork out of a bottle.
  Each corn kernel will make a loud pop when cooked...
  His back tyre just went pop on a motorway.
4) VERB If something pops, it makes a short sharp sound.
  He untwisted the wire off the champagne bottle, and the cork popped and shot to the ceiling.
5) VERB If your eyes pop, you look very surprised or excited when you see something. [INFORMAL]
  My eyes popped at the sight of the rich variety of food on show.
6) VERB If you pop something somewhere, you put it there quickly. [BRIT, INFORMAL]
  [V n prep/adv] Marianne got a couple of mugs from the dresser and popped a teabag into each of them...
  [V n prep/adv] He plucked a purple grape from the bunch and popped it in his mouth.
7) VERB If you pop somewhere, you go there for a short time. [BRIT, INFORMAL]
  [V adv/prep] He does pop down to the pub, but he seldom stays longer than an hour...
  [V adv/prep] Wendy popped in for a quick bite to eat on Monday night.
8) N-FAMILY Some people call their father pop. [mainly AM, INFORMAL]
  I looked at Pop and he had big tears in his eyes...
  Yes, Pop, I made a big mistake - you and Mark made me realize that.(in BRIT, usually use dad)
9) to pop the question → see question

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

pop

⁵pop noun, pl pops US informal + old-fashioned
1 [count] : a person's father - usually singular
• Hey Pop, can I borrow one of your ties?
• My pop likes watching football.
2 pops often humorous
- used as a form of address for an old man
• Need help with that package, pops?
- see also mom-and-pop

- compare ²pop, ⁴pop

⁴pop noun, pl pops
1 [noncount] : music that is popular
• The radio station plays pop.
2 Pops [noncount] US : an orchestra that plays popular music - used in names
• the Boston/Cincinnati Pops

- compare ²pop ⁵pop

³pop adj always used before a noun
1 : of or relating to things that are popular and often talked about on television, in newspapers, etc.
• pop culture/psychology/fiction
2 : of or relating to popular music
• pop rock
• a pop artist/singer/star [=a person who sings popular music]

²pop noun, pl pops
1 [count] : a short, loud sound
• We heard a loud pop when the lights went out.
2 informal : soda pop

[noncount]

• a bottle of pop [=soda]

[count]

• Two pops, please.
3 [count] baseball : pop fly
a pop US informal : for each one : apiece
• The tickets are selling at $50 a pop.
take a pop at informal
1 : to try to hit (someone)
• Some drunk took a pop at me.
2 chiefly Brit : to criticize (someone) publicly
• He took a pop at his rival.

- compare ⁴pop ⁵pop

rock

rock [noun] (MUSIC)

a type of popular music with a strong, loud beat that is usually played with electric guitars and drums

/rɑːk/

/rɒk/

Example:

a rock star

Oxford Essential Dictionary

rock

verb (rocks, rocking, rocked )
to move slowly backwards and forwards or from side to side; to make somebody or something do this:
The boat was rocking gently on the lake.
I rocked the baby until she went to sleep.

noun

1 (no plural) the very hard material that is in the ground and in mountains

2 (plural rocks) a big piece of rock:
The ship hit the rocks.

3 (no plural) (also rock music) a sort of modern music with a strong rhythm:
a rock concert

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

rock

I. rock¹ S2 W2 /rɒk $ rɑːk/ BrE AmE noun
[Sense 1, 3-10: Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: roque, from Vulgar Latin rocca]
[Sense 2: Date: 1900-2000; Origin: ⇨ ↑rock²]

1. STONE
a) [uncountable] the hard substance that forms the main surface of the Earth ⇨ stone:
To build the tunnel, they had to cut through 500 feet of solid rock.
Most of the country is desert and bare rock.
massive rock formations (=shapes made naturally from rock)
ancient dark volcanic rock
b) [countable] a piece of rock, especially a large one that sticks up from the ground:
Jack stood on a rock for a better view.
During the storm a ship had been driven onto the rocks (=a line of rocks under or next to the sea).
2. MUSIC [uncountable] (also rock music) a type of popular modern music with a strong loud beat, played using ↑guitars and drums
rock band/group
Komuro formed a rock band with some friends while in college.
the late rock star, Freddie Mercury
The stadium has hosted numerous rock concerts. ⇨ ↑hard rock, ⇨ punk rock at ↑punk(1)
3. (as) solid/steady as a rock
a) very strongly built or well supported and not likely to break or fall:
a large sofa, solid as a rock
b) someone who is as solid or steady as a rock is very strong and calm in difficult situations and you can depend on them ⇨ ↑rock-solid
4. [singular] someone who always gives you support and who you can depend on:
My sister has always been my rock.
5. be on the rocks informal a relationship or business that is on the rocks is having a lot of problems and is likely to fail soon SYN in trouble:
I’m afraid Tim’s marriage is on the rocks.
6. scotch/vodka etc on the rocks informal an alcoholic drink that is served with ice but no water
7. SWEET FOOD [uncountable] British English a hard sweet made in long round pieces:
a stick of rock
8. DRUG
a) [uncountable] a very pure form of the illegal drug ↑cocaine that some people use for pleasure
b) [countable] a small amount of this drug
9. be (stuck) between a rock and a hard place to have a choice between two things, both of which are unpleasant or dangerous
10. get your rocks off informal not polite if a man gets his rocks off, he has sex
11. JEWEL [countable usually plural] old-fashioned informal a ↑diamond or other jewel
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ solid rock Steps had been carved out of the solid rock.
▪ bare rock (=not covered by soil) Here there was only bare rock and gravel.
▪ volcanic rock The fossils are sandwiched between two layers of volcanic rock.
▪ molten rock (=rock that is so hot it is liquid) Molten rock flowed into these cracks.
■ rock + NOUN
▪ a rock formation There are marvellous views of impressive rock formations.
■ verbs
▪ rock forms/is formed From the texture of the rock we can tell how it was formed.
▪ something erodes rock (=it gradually removes the surface of the rock) Rainwater drained away, forming streams and rivers that began to erode the rock.
▪ rock erodes (away) (=its surface is gradually removed because of the action of water, wind etc ) The rocks had eroded away over the years.
■ phrases
▪ a lump/piece of rock His leg was trapped under a large lump of rock.
▪ a layer of rock You can see six layers of rock in the cliff.
▪ an outcrop of rock (=a mass of rock that sticks up above the ground) The gulls nested on a outcrop of rock.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ rock a piece of the hard substance that forms the main surface of the Earth. In British English, rocks are too large to pick up, but in American English, they can either be large or small: the rocks along the riverbanks
▪ stone a small piece of rock, found on the ground or near the surface of the ground. Speakers of American English are more likely to use the word rock than stone: The children were throwing stones into the water.
▪ boulder a large round piece of rock: She climbed over a few boulders at the edge of the sea.
▪ pebble a small smooth stone found especially on a beach or on the bottom of a river: The beach was covered with smooth white pebbles.
▪ fossil a rock which has the shape of an animal or plant that lived many thousands of years ago: fossils of early reptiles
II. rock² BrE AmE verb
[Language: Old English; Origin: roccian]
1. [intransitive and transitive] to move gently backwards and forwards or from side to side, or to make something do this ⇨ sway:
She covered her face, rocking to and fro in her grief.
The waves rocked the boat from side to side.
Paul sat gently rocking the child in his arms.
Jim rocked with laughter when he heard what had happened.
2. [transitive]
a) to make the people in a place or organization feel very shocked – used in news reports SYN shake:
The scandal rocked the nation.
b) to make the future of something seem less certain or steady than it was before, especially because of problems or changes SYN shake:
Another financial blow has rocked the industry.
The theory rocked the foundations of social and moral life.
3. rock the boat informal to cause problems for other members of a group by criticizing something or trying to change the way something is done:
He kept his feelings to himself, not wanting to rock the boat.
4. [transitive] if an explosion or ↑earthquake rocks an area, it makes it shake:
Residents had only a few minutes to escape before the blast rocked their houses.
5. somebody/something rocks spoken informal said to show that you strongly approve of someone or something
6. rock sb’s world informal to cause someone to think about something or someone in a completely new way

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

rock

rock [rock rocks rocked rocking] noun, verb [rɒk] [rɑːk]

noun

HARD MATERIAL
1. uncountable, countable the hard solid material that forms part of the surface of the earth and some other planets
• They drilled through several layers of rock to reach the oil.
• a cave with striking rock formations (= shapes made naturally from rock)
• The tunnel was blasted out of solid rock.

• volcanic/igneous/sedimentary, etc. rocks

2. countable a mass of rock standing above the earth's surface or in the sea/ocean
• the Rock of Gibraltar
• The ship crashed into the infamous Sker Point rocks and broke into three pieces.

3. countable a large single piece of rock
• They clambered over the rocks at the foot of the cliff.

• The sign said ‘Danger: falling rocks’.

STONE

4. countable (NAmE) a small stone

• Protesters pelted the soldiers with rocks.

MUSIC

5. (also ˈrock music) uncountable a type of loud popular music, developed in the 1960s, with a strong beat played on electric guitars and drums
• punk rock

• a rock band/star

SWEET/CANDY

6. (BrE) uncountable a type of hard sweet/candy made in long sticks, often sold in places where people go on holiday/vacation by the sea/ocean

• a stick of Brighton rock

JEWEL

7. countable, usually plural (NAmE, informal) a precious stone, especially a diamond

PERSON
8. countable, usually singular a person who is emotionally strong and who you can rely on
• He is my rock.
more at (as) steady as a rock at steady _adj.
Word Origin:
n. senses 1 to 4 and n. senses 6 to 7 Middle English Old French rocque medieval Latin rocca
n. sense 5 and v. late Old English roccian Germanic ‘remove, move’ Dutch rukken ‘jerk, tug’ German rücken ‘move’

Culture:
Rock (= the sweet) is usually flavoured with peppermint and coloured (usually bright pink) on the outside. In Britain, rock is sold especially in seaside towns, and has the name of the town all through the length of the stick on the inside.
See also Edinburgh rock

Culture:
Rock music developed in the 1960s from rock and roll. Rock later developed into forms such as folk rock and heavy metal.
Thesaurus:
rock noun U, C
• They drilled through several layers of rock to reach the oil.
stone • • boulder • • pebble •
solid rock/stone
throw a rock/stone/boulder/pebble
Rock or stone? Rock U is still a part of the ground; stone U has been dug up from the ground:
• houses built of stone
¤ houses built of rock:
• the rock walls of the cave
¤ the stone walls of the cave In British English people throw stones and a rock is sth too big to pick up and throw. In American English rock is the usual word for a small piece of rock that you can pick up.
Example Bank:
• A great rock jutted out into the water.
• Ahead the vegetation broke into bare rock.
• Children were looking for crabs in the rock pools.
• Lars taught me to skip rocks.
• Ryan changed the radio to a rock station.
• She was a rock chick through and through.
• Signs warn of the perils of falling rock.
• Solid rock is broken down by weathering.
• The castle is perched on a massive outcrop of rock.
• The path had been blocked by a rock fall.
• The river runs between walls of sheer rock.
• The rocks were slippery as I tried to climb them.
• They used to throw rocks at neighborhood dogs.
• You slept like a rock last night.
• an avalanche of loose rock
• influential rock critics
• one of the biggest bands on the rock circuit
• rocks that formed beneath the sea
• the king of rock and roll
• Demonstrators threw rocks at the police.
• a sea cave with striking rock formations
• volcanic/igneous/sedimentary rocks

Idioms: between a rock and a hard place ▪ get your rocks off ▪ on the rocks ▪ rock the boat

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

rock / rɒk / / rɑːk / noun [ U ] (MUSIC)

A2 a type of popular music with a strong, loud beat that is usually played with electric guitars and drums:

a rock group

a rock star

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

rock

[rɒ̱k]
♦♦
rocks, rocking, rocked
1) N-UNCOUNT Rock is the hard substance which the Earth is made of.
  The hills above the valley are bare rock...
  A little way below the ridge was an outcrop of rock that made a rough shelter.
2) N-COUNT A rock is a large piece of rock that sticks up out of the ground or the sea, or that has broken away from a mountain or a cliff.
  She sat cross-legged on the rock.
  ...the sound of the sea crashing against the rocks...
  He and two friends were climbing a rock face when they heard cries for help.
3) N-COUNT A rock is a piece of rock that is small enough for you to pick up.
  She bent down, picked up a rock and threw it into the trees.
  Syn:
  stone
4) V-ERG When something rocks or when you rock it, it moves slowly and regularly backwards and forwards or from side to side.
  [V prep/adv] His body rocked from side to side with the train...
  [V prep/adv] He stood a few moments, rocking back and forwards on his heels...
  [V n] She sat on the porch and rocked the baby. [Also V]
5) V-ERG If an explosion or an earthquake rocks a building or an area, it causes the building or area to shake. [JOURNALISM]
  [V n] Three people were injured yesterday when an explosion rocked one of Britain's best known film studios.
  [V n] ...a country that's rocked by dozens of earthquakes every year...
  As the buildings rocked under heavy shell-fire, he took refuge in the cellars.
  Syn:
  shake
6) VERB If an event or a piece of news rocks a group or society, it shocks them or makes them feel less secure. [JOURNALISM]
  [V n] His death rocked the fashion business.
  [V n] ...the latest scandal to rock the monarchy...
  [V n] Wall Street was rocked by the news and shares fell 4.3 per cent by the end of trading.
  Syn:
  shake
7) N-UNCOUNT: oft N n Rock is loud music with a strong beat that is usually played and sung by a small group of people using instruments such as electric guitars and drums.
  He once told an interviewer that he didn't even like rock music.
  ...a rock concert.
  ...famous rock stars.
8) N-UNCOUNT Rock is a sweet that is made in long, hard sticks and is often sold in towns by the sea in Britain.
  ...a stick of rock.
9) PHRASE: PHR after v If you are caught between a rock and a hard place, you are in a difficult situation where you have to choose between two equally unpleasant courses of action.
10) PHRASE: usu n PHR If you have an alcoholic drink such as whisky on the rocks, you have it with ice cubes in it.
  I could do with a Scotch on the rocks.
  Syn:
  with ice
11) PHRASE: v-link PHR If something such as a marriage or a business is on the rocks, it is experiencing very severe difficulties and looks likely to end very soon.
  She confided to her mother six months ago that her marriage was on the rocks...
  Our film industry is on the rocks.
12) to rock the boat → see boat

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

rock

³rock noun [noncount] : a kind of popular music with a strong beat that is played on instruments that are made louder electronically
• My favorite types of music are jazz and rock.
- often used before another noun
• rock music
• a rock concert/band/star
- see also hard rock, soft rock

- compare ²rock

²rock noun, pl rocks
1 a [noncount] : the hard, solid material that the surface of the Earth is made of
• They drilled through several layers of solid rock.
• Moss can grow on bare rock.
• The miners made a tunnel through the rock.
• volcanic rock
- often used before another noun
• The mountain had many amazing rock formations.
- see also bedrock, sheetrock
b [count] : a piece of rock
• a flat rock
• (US) We threw rocks [=stones] into the water.
• a pile of rocks
c [count] : a large piece of rock that sticks up from the surface of the Earth
• She climbed the rock.
• The ship crashed into the rocks.
2
- used in phrases to say that something is very hard, steady, etc.
• This bread is (as) hard as a rock. = The bread is rock-hard. [=the bread is very hard]
• Her hand was steady as a rock. [=her hand was very steady]
• His muscles are solid as a rock. [=very strong/solid]
• The frozen chicken is rock-solid.
• The beat of the drum was rock-steady.
3 [singular] informal
a : a strong person who can be relied on
• We could always count on him—he was our rock.
b : someone whose ideas, values, ways of doing things, etc., do not change
• Once she makes up her mind, she's (like) a rock. [=nobody can change her mind once she decides something]
4 [count] informal : a diamond or other jewel
• Look at the size of that rock on her finger.
5 [noncount] Brit : hard candy that is made in a stick
• a stick of rock
- compare rock candy
6 [count] informal : a small hard piece of a drug
• a rock of crack cocaine
between a rock and a hard place informal : in a very difficult or bad position or situation with no good way of getting out of it
• He is caught/stuck between a rock and a hard place.
get your rocks off informal
1 of a man : to have an orgasm
2 : to feel great pleasure or satisfaction
• He gets his rocks off bossing everyone around.
live under a rock : to be unaware of things that most people know about
• How could you have not heard about it? Do you live under a rock?
on the rocks
1 : having a lot of problems and likely to fail
• Their marriage is on the rocks. [=in trouble]
2 of an alcoholic drink : with ice cubes
• He ordered a whiskey/Scotch on the rocks.

- compare ³rock

hometown

hometown [noun]

The town or city that a person is from, especially the one in which they were born and lived while they were young.

/ˈhoʊm.taʊn/

/ˈhəʊm.taʊn/

Example:

He was born in Bristol, but he considers London his hometown since he's lived there most of his life.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

home town

home ˈtown BrE AmE especially British English, home‧town especially American English /ˌhəʊmˈtaʊn $ ˌhoʊm-/ noun [countable]
the place where you were born and spent your childhood
sb’s home town
He hired a car and drove up to his home town.
She’s written for her hometown newspaper.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hometown

home·town 7 [hometown] [ˈhəʊmtaʊn] [ˈhoʊmtaʊn] noun
the place where you were born or lived as a child
Example Bank:

• He married a girl from his hometown and they went back there to live.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hometown / ˈhəʊm.taʊn / / ˈhoʊm- / noun [ C ]

the town or city that a person is from, especially the one in which they were born and lived while they were young:

He was born in Bristol, but he considers London his hometown since he's lived there most of his life.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

hometown

[ho͟ʊmta͟ʊn]
hometowns
also home town
N-COUNT: with poss
Someone's hometown is the town where they live or the town that they come from.
I went to work as a painter in my hometown, Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

hometown

home·town /ˈhoʊmˈtaʊn/ noun, pl -towns [count] : the city or town where you were born or grew up
• She returned to her hometown to stay after college.
• hometown friends

birthplace

birthplace [noun]

the house, town, etc. where a person was born

/ˈbɝːθ.pleɪs/

/ˈbɜːθ.pleɪs/

Example:

My parents' birthplace is Kashan.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

birthplace

birth‧place /ˈbɜːθpleɪs $ ˈbɜːrθ-/ BrE AmE noun [countable usually singular]
1. the place where someone was born, used especially when talking about someone famous:
Stratford-upon-Avon was Shakespeare’s birthplace.
2. the place where something first started to happen or exist:
New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

birthplace

birth·place [birthplace birthplaces] [ˈbɜːθpleɪs] [ˈbɜːrθpleɪs] noun

1. the house or area where a person was born, especially a famous person

2. the place where sth first happened
• Hawaii was the birthplace of surfing.
Example Bank:

• Shrewsbury is famous for being the birthplace of Charles Darwin.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

birthplace / ˈbɜːθ.pleɪs / / ˈbɝːθ- / noun [ C usually singular ]

the house, town, etc. where a person was born

birthplace

birthplace /ˈbɜːθ.pleɪs/ US /ˈbɝːθ-/
noun [C usually singular]
the house, town, etc. where a person was born

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

birthplace

[bɜ͟ː(r)θpleɪs]
birthplaces
1) N-COUNT Your birthplace is the place where you were born. [WRITTEN]
2) N-COUNT: usu N of n The birthplace of something is the place where it began.
...Athens, the birthplace of the ancient Olympics.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

birthplace

birth·place /ˈbɚɵˌpleɪs/ noun, pl -plac·es [count] : the place where someone was born or where something began
• He visited his grandmother's birthplace.
• New Orleans is regarded as the birthplace of jazz.

nationality

nationality [noun]

the official right to belong to a particular country

/ˌnæʃ.ənˈæl.ə.t̬i/

/ˌnæʃ.ənˈæl.ə.ti/

Example:

She has British nationality.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

nationality

noun (plural nationalities)
the state of belonging to a certain country:
'What nationality are you?' 'I'm Australian.'

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

nationality

na‧tion‧al‧i‧ty /ˌnæʃəˈnæləti, ˌnæʃəˈnælɪti/ BrE AmE noun (plural nationalities)
[Word Family: noun: ↑nation, ↑national, ↑multinational, ↑nationalism, ↑nationalist, ↑nationality, ↑nationalization, ↑nationhood, ↑international, ↑internationalism, ↑internationalist, ↑internationalization; adjective: ↑national, ↑international, ↑multinational, ↑nationalist, ↑nationalistic, nationalized, ↑internationalist; verb: ↑nationalize, ↑internationalize; adverb: ↑nationally, ↑internationally]
1. [uncountable and countable] the state of being legally a citizen of a particular country ⇨ citizenship:
people of the same nationality
French/Brazilian etc nationality
He has British nationality.
dual nationality (=the state of being a citizen of two countries)
2. [countable] a large group of people with the same race, origin, language etc:
the different nationalities within the former USSR

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

nationality

na·tion·al·ity [nationality nationalities] [ˌnæʃəˈnæləti] [ˌnæʃəˈnæləti] noun (pl. na·tion·al·ities)
1. uncountable, countable the legal right of belonging to a particular nation
• to take/have/hold French nationality
• All applicants will be considered regardless of age, sex, religion or nationality.
• The college attracts students of all nationalities.

• She has dual nationality (= is a citizen of two countries).

2. countable a group of people with the same language, culture and history who form part of a political nation
• Kazakhstan alone contains more than a hundred nationalities.
Example Bank:
• He accused them of discrimination on the grounds of nationality.
• He has dual British and South African nationality.
• He recently received the Spanish passport which grants him dual nationality.
• She is hoping to adopt Australian nationality.
• The pupils are of mixed nationality.
• a German-born composer who took British nationality
• cultural differences among various nationalities
• All applicants will be considered, regardless of age, sex, religion or nationality.
• She has dual nationality.
• The city is home to more than a hundred nationalities.

• to take/have/hold French nationality

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

nationality / ˌnæʃ. ə nˈæl.ə.ti / / ˌnæʃˈnæl- / / -t̬i / noun

A1 [ C or U ] the official right to belong to a particular country:

She has British nationality.

What nationality are you?

[ C ] a group of people of the same race, religion, traditions, etc.:

At the International School they have pupils of 46 different nationalities.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

nationality

[næ̱ʃənæ̱lɪti]
nationalities
1) N-VAR If you have the nationality of a particular country, you were born there or have the legal right to be a citizen.
  Asked his nationality, he said British...
  The crew are of different nationalities and have no common language.
2) N-COUNT You can refer to people who have the same racial origins as a nationality, especially when they do not have their own independent country.
  ...the many nationalities that comprise Ethiopia.
  Syn:
  race

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

nationality

na·tion·al·i·ty /ˌnæʃəˈnæləti/ noun, pl -ties
1 [count] : a group of people who share the same history, traditions, and language, and who usually live together in a particular country
• The country is home to five nationalities and seven languages.
• people of all races and nationalities
2 formal : the fact or status of being a member or citizen of a particular nation