Roc
/rɒk/noun
A legendary giant bird of prey from Middle Eastern and South Asian folklore.
Did you know?The roc entered European imagination through Arabic storytelling, especially the tales later associated with One Thousand and One Nights, where it became a symbol of impossible scale and terrifying sky-power.
Etymological Timeline
Persian folklore
Persian
rukh
“A gigantic mythical bird of prey”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
rukhkh
“A monstrous bird of legend”
13th Century
Italian
roccho
“A fabulous giant bird described in travel tales”
17th Century
French
roc
“A giant bird from Oriental romance and adventure literature”
Modern English
English
roc
“A legendary enormous bird of prey”