roughneck

Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).

Synonyms: rough neck, rough-neck, roughness, roughnecks, roughback

Antonyms: rough neck, rough-neck, roughness, roughnecks, roughback

Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.

Noun

1. {{lb|en|colloquial|chiefly|US}} A [[labourer]] on an [[oil rig]] or in the [[oilpatch]], either [[skilled]] or [[semiskilled]]. {{defdate|from 20th c.}}
2. {{lb|en|colloquial|chiefly|US|dated}} A dirty or low-paid worker, a [[labourer]]; an [[ironworker]] in an [[ironworks]] or a [[steelworker]] in a [[steelworks]]. {{defdate|from 20th c.}}
3. {{lb|en|colloquial|chiefly|US}} Someone with rough manners; a [[rowdy]] or [[uncouth]] person. {{defdate|from 19th c.}}

Verb

1. To work as a laborer on an [[oil rig]].

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.