# roughneck

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɹʌfˌnɛk/

## Definitions
1. A labourer on an oil rig or in the oilpatch, either skilled or semiskilled.
2. A dirty or low-paid worker, a labourer; an ironworker in an ironworks or a steelworker in a steelworks.
3. Someone with rough manners; a rowdy or uncouth person.

## Etymology
From rough + neck, originally "someone who works a manual labour job".

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/roughneck