# Rodney

/ˈɹɑdni/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rodney
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a person's name

noun · CEFR A1

a common name for a man.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. a small boat

noun · CEFR C2 · Dialect

a small wooden boat used for fishing or travel, mostly in Newfoundland.

For teachers: 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.

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.

## Examples

- Don't be such a rodney and look where you are going.
- He felt like a total rodney when he realized he had been wearing his shirt inside out all morning.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.