Rookie

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ÊŠki

Origin

From recruit and -ie, thought to be an alteration of recruit, another reasonable origin is Dutch broekie (short for broekvent ("a boy still in short trousers")), a common term for a shipmate.

Full definition of rookie

Noun

1. An inexperienced recruit, especially in the police or armed forces.
2. A novice.
3. An athlete either new to the sport or to a team or in his first year of professional competition, especially said of baseball, basketball, hockey and American football players.
4. (British) A type of firecracker, used by farmers to scare rooks.

Synonyms

• beginner
• newbie, new boy
• noob
• tyro
• novice

Adjective

1. non-professional; amateurThe game was going well until I made that rookie mistake.