A legendary giant bird from Middle Eastern and Indian folklore that was so massive it could carry off elephants and entire armies.
From Arabic 'rukh' (possibly from Persian), the Roc appears in tales like 'The Arabian Nights' and ancient mythology. The word traveled through trade routes and stories into European languages.
The Roc inspired European dragon legends and even influenced early natural history—some explorers thought the bird might be real until the 1600s, and Marco Polo's travels actually increased belief in giant birds existing somewhere in the world.
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