Rock and Roll Etymology:

From rock (move back and forth) + and + roll; originally a verb phrase common among African Americans, meaning "to have sexual intercourse"; it was a euphemism that appeared in song titles since at least 1914 (Trixie Smith's "My Man Rocks Me With One Steady Roll").

As a name for a specific style of popular music from the early 1950s, popularized by disc jockey Alan Freed in reference to the euphemistic use in song titles.

Noun: rock and roll (uncountable) 1-(music) A genre of popular music that evolved in the 1950s from a combination of rhythm and blues and country music, characterized by electric guitars, strong rhythms, and youth-oriented lyrics. This couple performs rock and roll music when he shreds the electric guitar while his girlfriend plays the drums! 2-(dance) A style of vigorous dancing associated with this genre of music. 3-(especially attributive) An intangible feeling, philosophy, belief or allegiance relating to rock music, characterized by unbridled enthusiasm, hedonism and cynical regard for authoritarian bodies. rock and roll lifestyle 4-(Cockney rhyming slang) Dole, payment by the state to the unemployed. I'm back on rock and roll ― I'm back on the dole. 5-(military, slang, US) The full automatic fire capability selection on a selective fire weapon. 6-(film, television) The ability to run the picture and audio back and forth in synchronization, allowing the correction of mistakes during dubbing.

Usage notes: -When pronounced, the word "and" in this phrase, as in many others, is frequently reduced to a mere /ən/ or /n/ (i.e. pronounced "rok-an-roll" or "raw-kn-roll). When this occurs, it is often reflected in contracted spellings like rock 'n' roll (see alternative forms above). -Rock and roll is sometimes taken to encompass a particular style of music from roughly the mid-1940s to circa 1966. It is otherwise taken to be largely synonymous with rock music, which encompasses a much wider range of more modern styles.