Word
rodney
Phoneticsrod·ney
/ˈɹɑdni/
Definitions
01a person's name
n. a common name for a man.
n. a male given name, originally derived from an English habitational surname.
“Rodney decided to take a walk in the park after finishing his work.”
“The historical records indicate that Rodney was a relatively common surname in the region before it gained popularity as a given name.”
02a small boat
n. a small wooden boat used for fishing or travel, mostly in Newfoundland.
n. a small, open, flat-bottomed wooden boat, typically under 15 feet, used for inshore fishing or as a tender.
“The fisherman rowed his rodney out to the larger boat anchored in the bay.”
“The traditional rodney remains a symbol of Newfoundland's coastal heritage, though modern fiberglass hulls have largely replaced the original wooden designs.”
Dialect
Usage
The term is specific to the dialect of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Teaching tip
This sense is highly regional; learners are unlikely to encounter it outside of Atlantic Canadian literature or maritime contexts.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Old English placename Hrōdanīeġ, Hrōdanīġ (literally “Hroda's island”), from Proto-Germanic hrōþiz (“fame”) and awjō (“island”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/rodney