different between improve vs rocket

English

Alternative forms

• emprove (obsolete)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman emprouwer, from Old French en- + prou (“profit”), from Vulgar Latin prode (“advantageous, profitable”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?p?u?v/
• Rhymes: -u?v

Verb

improve (third-person singular simple present improves, present participle improving, simple past and past participle improved)

1. (transitive) To make (something) better; to increase the value or productivity (of something).
2. (intransitive) To become better.

   • “My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”

3. (obsolete) To disprove or make void; to refute.
   • 1528, William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man

     Neither can any of them make so strong a reason which another cannot improve.

4. (obsolete) To disapprove of; to find fault with; to reprove; to censure.
   • 1528, William Tyndale, The Obedience of a Christian Man

     When he rehearsed his preachings and his doing unto the high apostles, they could improve nothing.

5. (dated) To use or employ to good purpose; to turn to profitable account.
   • a. 1677, Isaac Barrow, The Reward of Honouring God (sermon)

     We shall especially honour God, by discharging faithfully those offices which God hath entrusted us with: by improving diligently those talents which God hath committed to us

   • a hint that I do not remember to have seen opened and improved

   • the court has also an opportunity, which it seldom fails to improve.

   • 1715, Isaac Watts, Against Idleness and Mischief

     How doth the little busy bee / Improve each shining hour.

   • March 7, 1778, George Washington, letter

     True policy, as well as good faith, in my opinion, binds us to improve the occasion.

Synonyms

• (to make something better): ameliorate, better, batten, enhance; See also Thesaurus:improve

Antonyms

• (to make something worse): deteriorate, worsen; See also Thesaurus:aggravate
• (to become worse): deteriorate, worsen; See also Thesaurus:worsen

Derived terms

• improvement
• improver
• improving

Translations

Further reading

• "improve" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 160.

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /???k?t/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???k?t/
• Rhymes: -?k?t

Etymology 1

From Italian rocchetta, from Old Italian rochetto (“rocket”, literally “a bobbin”), diminutive of rocca (“a distaff”), from Lombardic rocko, rukka (“spinning wheel”), from Proto-Germanic *rukkô (“a distaff, a staff with flax fibres tied loosely to it, used in spinning thread”). Cognate with Old High German rocco, rocko, roccho, rocho ("a distaff"; > German Rocken (“a distaff”)), Swedish rock (“a distaff”), Icelandic rokkur (“a distaff”), Middle English rocke (“a distaff”). More at rock?.

Noun

rocket (plural rockets)

1. A rocket engine.
2. (military) A non-guided missile propelled by a rocket engine.
3. A vehicle propelled by a rocket engine.
4. A rocket propelled firework, a skyrocket
5. (slang) An ace (the playing card).
6. (military slang) An angry communication (such as a letter or telegram) to a subordinate.
   • 1980, David Schoenbrun, Soldiers of the Night: The Story of the French Resistance,^[1] Dutton, ?ISBN, page 203,

     While [Colonel Robert] Solborg and [Jacques] Lemaigre[-Dubreuil] were dreaming of revolts, [William Joseph “Wild Bill”] Donovan had learned of Solborg’s insubordination and meddling. He sent him a “rocket” ordering him out of North Africa and back to Lisbon at once. Solborg flew to Lisbon and then on to Washington to face out his problem with Donovan.

7. A blunt lance head used in jousting.
8. (figuratively) Something that shoots high in the air.
9. (Scotland, slang) A stupid or crazy person.
   • 2014, Alistair Beaton, Rob Drummond, Morna Pearson, Contemporary Scottish Plays

     Why were the Luddites named efter Ned Ludd? A wee rocket. A wee fucken fairy bampot. A pure hooligan, smashing stuff up. A ned. Ned Ludd.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• ICBM

References

• Watkins, Calvert (2000). The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots 2nd edn., p. 72, s.v. ruk-. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, ?ISBN.
• Weisenberg, Michael (2000). The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. ?ISBN.
• “rocket” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

Verb

rocket (third-person singular simple present rockets, present participle rocketing, simple past and past participle rocketed)

1. To accelerate swiftly and powerfully
2. To fly vertically
3. To rise or soar rapidly
4. To carry something in a rocket
5. To attack something with rockets

Translations

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French roquette, from Italian ruchetta, diminutive of ruca, from Latin eruca. Cognate to arugula.

Noun

rocket (uncountable)

1. The leaf vegetable Eruca sativa or Eruca vesicaria.
2. rocket larkspur (Consolida regalis)

Synonyms

• (US) arugula
• rocket salad

Derived terms

• wild rocket, perennial wall rocket, sand rocket, white rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia)
• London rocket (Sisymbrium irio)
• dame's rocket, sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
• blue rocket (Aconitum)
• dyer's rocket, bastard rocket (Reseda)
• yellowrocket, rocketcress, winter rocket, wound rocket (Barbarea vulgaris)

Translations