rookery
rookery Lexical Profile
rookery Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A breeding colony of rooks or other gregarious birds and marine animals, such as penguins, herons, seals, or sea turtles, or the place where they congregate to nest and breed.
"The coastal cliffs served as a noisy rookery for thousands of nesting seabirds and fur seals."
(historical) A densely populated, dilapidated cluster of tenement houses or an overcrowded urban slum.
"Social reformers in Victorian London documented the harsh living conditions inside the notorious St Giles rookery."
• Rhymes for rookery
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 18th century from 'rook' (from Old English 'hrōc', of imitative origin) and the place suffix '-ery'. In the 19th century, the term was figuratively extended to describe noisy, densely packed urban slums, most famously in Victorian London.