Definition of the word rookie

The term "rookie" originates from the 1920s in the United States. It is believed to have come from the 1927 version of Ring Lardner's short story "You know, I remember resizing jockey" (a play on "Upson's"), which featured a term called "rooky" to refer to a novice jockey. The term gained popularity in the 1930s, particularly in professional sports, as a shortened form of "rooky" to describe a new or inexperienced player, usually in their first year of active competition. The term quickly spread across various sports, including baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. Today, the term "rookie" is widely used to describe anyone in their first year of a job, a role, or a particular activity, emphasizing the idea of inexperience or newcomer status.