a person who is new to a job, activity, or organization and lacks experience
"I'm still a rookie at cooking, so dinner might taste funny," joked the young woman.
The manager introduced the nervous rookie to the rest of the sales team on his first day.
✦ Late 19th-century American English, probably a playful alteration of “recruit,” referring to a newly enlisted soldier before spreading to other fields.
a first-year professional athlete or player in a sports team
The commentator praised the rookie for scoring a goal in his first professional match.
In her debut season, the basketball rookie averaged ten points per game.
✦ Extension of the general sense “inexperienced person” to professional sports in the early 20th century.
