quinella

quinellas (plural)
quiniela (alternative)

From American Spanish quiniela (“sporting bet or pool”); US from 1942.

bor

1954, Michigan Department of State Compilation Commission, 1954 Michigan Administrative Code, page 38,
All tickets on the quinella will be calculated in an entirely separate pool.

A few tracks offer exactas and quinallas on the same races.

1989, Charles S. Romanelli, How to Make Money in One Day at the Track, page 166:

The track quinella paid $38.00 for a $2 wager, the track exacta paid $70.60 for a $2 wager.

2004, Jim Kilby, Jim Fox, Anthony F. Lucas, Casino Operations Management, page 355:

(gambling, horse racing) A form of bet in which the bettor predicts the first two finishers in a race, without concern for the order of finishing.


enforcer

Australian rules football
Australian rules football

(ice hockey, rugby, Australian rules football) A player who physically intimidates or confronts the opposition.


sealer

(sports, colloquial) A goal, shot, point, etc., scored close to fulltime so that it becomes impossible for the losing side to score enough to win.


bite stick

(curling) A piece of equipment used to determine whether or not a stone is a biter.


drawmaster

(curling) The person who assigns teams to different sheets, sets starting times, assigns players to teams in casual play, etc.

(horse racing) The person who determines the post positions for races.


draw raise

(curling) A shot in which the played stone pushes a stone straight forward into the house


front of the house

(curling) The portion of the house closer to the hog line.


front ring

(curling) The 12-foot diameter circle outermost in the house.


in-turn

For a right-handed thrower, an in-turn is clockwise, and the opposite for a lefty.

(curling) A shot in which the handle of the stone is rotated across the body.


measure stick

(curling) Equipment used to determine which of two or more stones is closest to the center when they are too similar to know with visual inspection


out-turn

For a right-handed thrower, an out-turn is counter-clockwise, and the opposite for a lefty.

(curling) A shot in which the handle of the stone is rotated away from the body.


shot rock

(curling) The rock in the house closest to the button.


split the house

en-verb

split the house (third-person singular simple present splits the house, present participle splitting the house, simple past and past participle split the house)

splits the house (present singular third-person)
splitting the house (participle present)
split the house (participle past)
split the house (past)

(curling) To use the strategy of drawing to a different area of the house to prevent one's opponent from taking out both stones.


swingy

en-adj

swingy (comparative swingier, superlative swingiest)

swingier (comparative)
swingiest (superlative)

(curling, of ice) Allowing stones to curl more than usual.


tee line

(curling) The line that goes across the house intersecting with the middle of the button, splitting it into two halves.


wobbler

(curling) A stone that rocks from side to side as it travels because it is not resting on its running surface.


netball

en-noun

netball (countable and uncountable, plural netballs)

netballs (plural)
net ball (alternative)
net-ball (alternative)

Some excellent photographs are taken of [...] members of the athletic club, "net-ball," "foot-ball," etc., [...]

1913 January 15, “Personal and Official”, in C. W. Hastings, editor, The Gas Engineer’s Magazine and Gas Industries, volume XXIX, number 441, London: J. G. Hammond & Co., →OCLC, page 13, column 2:

The next events were ones in which selected members of squads participated while the other members watched and cheered. These were net ball, hockey, tennis, and swimming, and followed in the order given.

1928 February, “News Notes. A Successful College Play Day.”, in James Huff McCurdy, editor, American Physical Education Review, volume XXXIII, number 2 (number 234 overall), Springfield, Mass.: American Physical Education Association, →OCLC, page 124, column 2:

In addition to the above prominent clubs, there are a number of cricket, tennis, net-ball, and football clubs in the Colony.

1946–1947, “[Windward Islands.] St. Lucia.”, in The West Indies Year Book: […], London: Thomas Skinner & Co., →OCLC, page 389, column 2:

Outcome goals are related directly to end results – e.g. a netball player wants to score more goals / Performance goals are measured against past performance, e.g. a netball player wants to score more goals than in the previous match.

1999, Michael Hill, “Training Methods”, in PE for You: Teacher Resource Pack, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: Stanley Thornes Publishers, →ISBN, part 3 (Health, Safety and Training), page 83, column 2:

[W]hen I asked each person to nominate the best thing about netball, the overwhelming response was the friendships they had made. Netball friendships have carried people through form slumps, heartbreaking losses and personal tragedies, and it is these friendships that make the wins and the highs so much sweeter.

2005, Liz Ellis, “A Few Words from Liz”, in Netball Heroes, Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin, →ISBN, page 1:

Another key skill in netball is the art of dodging; a quick, decisive change of direction to out-manoeuvre or wrong-foot a defender and be free to receive a pass or create a space to move into.

2010, Anna Sheryn, Chris Sheryn, “Movement and Footwork”, in 101 Youth Netball Drills: Age 12 to 16, 2nd edition, London: A & C Black, published 2012, →ISBN, page 35:

It may be that this situation arose because of differential investment or more competent coaching in girls' as opposed to boys' sports in that school, but it is even more likely that it arose because of the composition, coaching, commitment, and so on of all other net ball teams in their league on the one hand, and all other soccer teams in their league on the other.

2012, Roger Gomm, “Qualitative Causal Analysis and the Fallacies of Composition and Division: The Example of Ethnic Inequalities in Educational Achievement”, in Barry Cooper, Judith Glaesser, Roger Gomm, Martyn Hammersley, Challenging the Qualitative–Quantitative Divide: Explorations in Case-focused Causal Analysis, London, New York, N.Y.: Continuum International Publishing Group, →ISBN, part I (Problems with Quantitative and Qualitative Research), page 119:

[A]round half the boys were of the view that roles in netball were suitable for both genders while one-third of boys indicated that all roles in netball were for girls only, with the exception of the warm-up coach. Girls were mostly of the view that only the equipment manager was more suitable for boys in netball.

2012, Gary D. Kinchin, “Learning Sport Education through Reflective Inquiry: Four Case Studies”, in Peter Hastie, editor, Sport Education: International Perspectives (Routledge Studies in Physical Education and Youth Sport), Abingdon, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 171:

(uncountable) A (usually women's) team sport derived from basketball, with seven players on each side who attempt to score goals by passing a ball and throwing it into the opponent's goal, which is a raised hoop with a net at one end of the playing area. Unlike basketball, a player in possession of the ball cannot move until the ball is passed to another player.

Over the years he had stitched Dr. Bailey's black bag, Paul's pram hood, the net balls at the village school, and saddles and bridles for Joan and Ruth when they were small, and kept in trim the footwear that passed and repassed his window as the various owners went about their business on Thrush Green.

1959, “Miss Read” [pseudonym; Dora Jessie Saint], “Sam Curdle is Tempted”, in Thrush Green, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company […], published 1960, →OCLC, part 2 (Afternoon), page 122:

'If we could find our netball, you could borrow it,' she said softly. / 'A netball!' he said in disgust. 'A netball is no use. It is not heavy enough. But I would borrow it,' he added quickly. 'It would be better than no ball at all.'

1992, Eileen Molver, chapter 1, in Rod Nesbitt, editor, Lindiwi Finds a Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Gaborone, Botswana: Heinemann Educational Publishers, →ISBN, page 2:

I've never been hit before in my life, except by a netball in PE once, so it takes me a while to realize that my head hasn't just rocketed off the top of my spine but is in fact still attached to the rest of me and that the ringing noise is just the repercussion of the blow sounding in my ears and not an orchestral score blasting from the stereo.

2013, Sarah Alderson, The Sound, New York, N.Y.: Simon Pulse, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, published May 2015, →ISBN, page 273:

In the MYSA program, organizers made an arrangement with local authorities to provide the young people with access to soccer balls, net balls, and playing fields.

2013, Roy McMurtry, “Sport as a Development Tool in the Commonwealth”, in Memoirs and Reflections, Toronto, Ont., Buffalo, N.Y.: University of Toronto Press for the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History, →ISBN, part 4 (At the Court of St James and Home Again), page 438:

(countable) The ball used in this sport.


goal shooter

(netball) A player allowed in the goal third including the shooting circle.


goal attack

(netball) A player allowed in the centre third, goal third including the shooting circle.


wing attack

(netball) A player allowed in the centre third and goal third, but not the shooting circle.


wing defence

defensive goal third
defensive goal third

(netball) A player allowed in the centre third, defensive goal third, but not the shooting circle.


goal defence

(netball) A player allowed in the centre third and the defensive goal third, including the shooting circle.


shooting circle

shooting circle (plural shooting circles)

(netball) One of two semicircles in the goal thirds, radius 4.9 metres, in which the goal shooter and goal attack can shoot.


goal third

The playing court is divided into thirds, a 'centre third' sandwiched between two 'goal thirds', with a D shaped area in both of the goal thirds and restrictions on which players are allowed in each section.

2012, Sandy Green, Encouraging Early Sports Skills, page 16:

(netball) One of two thirds of a netball court nearest the goal ring.


centre third

(netball) The central third of a netball court.


crown green bowls

(sports) A form of bowls, played on a slightly humped, square, grass green, in which two players each play two biased bowls, either along the edges, or diagonally over the crown; it is especially popular in the north of England


motocross

motocross (usually uncountable, plural motocrosses)

From French, a macaronic blend of moto, from motocyclette (“motorcycle”) and English cross-country. May be decomposed as moto- + -cross.

(sports, motorcycling) A form of off-road motorbike racing.

(sports, motorcycling) An event where such racing takes place.


run out the clock

en-verb

run out the clock (third-person singular simple present runs out the clock, present participle running out the clock, simple past ran out the clock, past participle run out the clock)

runs out the clock (present singular third-person)
running out the clock (participle present)
ran out the clock (past)
run out the clock (participle past)

(idiomatic, sports) To preserve a lead in a game by retaining possession, to waste time.


goal kick

(soccer) A set piece taken from the goal area after an attacker touches the ball out of play over the goal line.

հարված դարպասից

a set piece taken from the goal area after the ball has gone out of play


CAR

United States of America
United States of America#English

(sports) Abbreviation of Carolina. (North Carolina or South Carolina, states in the United States of America)


redshirt

/ˈɹɛd.ʃəː(ɹ)t/

Redshirt (college sports)
Star Trek: The Original Series
Starfleet
redshirt (stock character)

Calque of Italian camicia rossa, equivalent to red + shirt. In later senses with reference to the uniforms or outfits worn by such people. The fandom slang sense emerged from the tendency of red-uninformed Starfleet officers to die in episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series.

(US, sports) A college athlete who spends a year not participating in official athletic activities, but does not lose his or her eligibility to participate in following years.


baulk end

baulk ends (plural)
balk end (alternative)

(snooker) The end of a snooker table where the green, brown and yellow balls are initially placed


baulk line

baulk lines (plural)
balk line (alternative)
balkline (alternative)
baulkline (alternative)

(snooker) The line at the baulk end of a snooker table, upon which the green, yellow and brown balls are initially placed.


cue ball

cue balls (plural)
cueball (alternative)

(snooker, pool, billiards) The white ball which, stricken by the cue, collides with the other balls to achieve the object of the particular game.


carrying violation

en-noun

carrying violation (plural carrying violations)

(basketball) The violation that occurs when a player places the palm of his hand under the ball while dribbling. As long as a player's hand is on top of the ball, he can dribble it above his shoulder.


hank

From Middle English hank, of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse hǫnk (compare haki (“something bent”)), related to Proto-Germanic *hakô (“hook”). Akin to Old English hangian (“to hang”). First known use: 14th century.

(wrestling) A throw in which a wrestler turns his left side to his opponent, twines his left leg about his opponent's right leg from the inside, and throws him backward.


screamer

But then he came around the wicket again, I slashed at one, and Strauss, at full stretch diving to his left at second slip, took an absolute screamer. It was the catch of the summer, and it happened to me.

His screamer into the right field bleachers in the sixth with Scarborough and Viau on base put Hickory out in front 9 to 8 and the lead held for the rest of the game.

2006, R. G. Utley, Tim Peeler, Aaron Peeler, Outlaw Ballplayers: interviews and profiles from the Independent Carolina Baseball League:

Virtually every other facet of the game is shared by other sports, but the sight of a player taking a fingertip ‘screamer’ whilst perched on the shoulders of an opponent is unique to footy, and players who perfect this ability are among the code’s most celebrated and well remembered.

2008, John Devaney, Full Points Footy's WA Football Companion:

(sports, Australian rules football) A particularly high mark (clean catch of a kicked ball).

Kasper Schmeichel brilliantly denied Marouane Chamakh before Bacary Sagna thumped home a second, though Bradley Johnson's screamer halved the deficit.

2011 January 19, Jonathan Stevenson, “Leeds 1 - 3 Arsenal”, in BBC:

That set the pattern for us both. Catch a screamer, work it hard for as long as you could, then drop back over the shoulder and paddle back out to the line-up.


heliox

(medicine, underwater diving) A mixture of helium and oxygen used as a breathing gas.


heliair

(underwater diving) A mixture of helium, nitrogen and oxygen, used as a breathing gas instead of normal air.


fadeaway

fadeaways (plural)
fade-away (alternative)

He taunted the Knicks instead with hanging jumpers, impossible fadeaways and layups in traffic.

2009 February 3, Howard Beck, “Bryant Puts on a Show, Setting Garden Records”, in New York Times:

[Markieff] Morris isn’t quite the post-up threat that [Enes] Kanter is, and he can play both the 4 spot and 5 spot instead of just center, like Kanter. He is capable of playing a similar way, backing defenders down in the post. He prefers getting his buckets there with a bevy of fade-aways and jumpers. He’s a heat checker. And he can get hot on the block.

2019 February 25, Brett Dawson, Fred Katz, “How power forward Markieff Morris might fit in with the Thunder”, in The Athletic:

(basketball) A jump shot made while jumping backwards, away from the basket, with the goal to create space between the shooter and the defender, making it much harder to block.


batboy

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-batboy.wav

(baseball, softball) A boy employed to watch over the bats, and assist the players in retrieving them during play.


at the double

2016, FourFourTwo staff, “Arsenal 0 Barcelona 2: Messi at the double to down brave Gunners” at FourFourTwo


double time

(dance) A dance step pattern with six steps.


dark horse

Originally an allusion to an unknown horse with a dark coat winning a race, as used in the 1831 novel The Young Duke by Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881).

(horse racing) A horse whose capabilities are not known.


flat out

flat outs (plural)
flat-out (alternative)

The would-be daredevils are mercifully prevented from going too fast by strategically placed flat-outs.

1979 November, Tamsin Venn, “The Pleasures of Keystone”, in Skiing, page 107:

(skiing) A section of piste that is relatively flat, causing or allowing skiers to slow down.

The circuit is very well endowed with corners of all sorts from hairpins to flat-outs, has a 1,540-yd. straight and measures 5.2 miles, partly on an airfield, partly through a built-up area.

1952, Motor, volume 102, number 2654, page 31:

(motor racing, horse racing) An uncambered corner of racetrack; a racetrack whose corners are uncambered.


get over

en-verb

get over (third-person singular simple present gets over, present participle getting over, simple past got over, past participle (UK) got over or (US) gotten over)

gets over (present singular third-person)
getting over (participle present)
got over (past)
got over (UK participle past)
gotten over (US participle past)

Ireland got their second try not long before half-time with O'Leary, an injury doubt all week with a stiff back, just about getting over for a try which was confirmed by the video referee.

2011 February 13, Lyle Jackson, “Ireland 22-25 France”, in BBC:

But when a side plays for almost 20 of the first 40 minutes with only 14 men, you have to make that advantage count in your favour. Credit must go to the three-time champions for keeping the world champions from getting over for five points.

2023 October 28, Leighton Koopman, “YES!!! The Springboks beat the All Blacks to win another Rugby World Cup title”, in Independent Online:

professional wrestling
professional wrestling

(professional wrestling slang) To establish a connection with the audience as a character or faction.


cutline

(squash) A line on the front wall, above which the ball must hit for a serve


assister

(sports) Someone who provides an assist to a goal


Pompey

(slang, soccer) Portsmouth Football Club.


dual meet

(sports) An athletic competition between two teams (of a club, school, nation, etc.), especially track, cross-country, swimming, and rowing.


stirrup

From Middle English stirop, stirope, from Old English stiġrāp (“stirrup”), a compound of stiġe ("ascent, descent, a going up or down"; related to stīġan (“to climb”)) and rāp (“rope”), equivalent to sty + rope.
Cognate with Dutch stegereep, stegelreep (“stirrup”), Old Saxon stigerēp (“stirrup”), Middle High German stereip, stegreif ("stirrup"; > German Stegreif (“improvisation”)), Icelandic stigreip (“stirrup”).

gloss

"ascent, descent, a going up or down"; related to <i class="Latn mention" lang="ang">stīġan</i> (“to climb”)

"stirrup"; > German <i class="Latn mention" lang="de">Stegreif</i> (“improvisation”)

With what different feelings did he now put foot in stirrup to the last time when he sprung to horse?

1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, pages 36–37:

(equestrianism) A ring or hoop suspended by a rope or strap from the saddle, for a horseman's foot while mounting or riding.

(by extension) Any piece shaped like the stirrup of a saddle, used as a support, clamp, etc.

(climbing) A portable, flexible ladder-like device used in climbing.


Spurs

en-proper noun

Spurs (countable and uncountable, plural Spurses)

(soccer) Tottenham Hotspur Football Club


nock

From Middle English nokke, attested since the 14th century, probably from a Scandinavian/North Germanic language (compare Swedish nock (“notch”), but compare Dutch nok, from Middle Dutch nocke (“tip, point”). Both could be related to nook (“corner, recess”).

He took his arrow by the nock.

[1611?], Homer, “(please specify |book=I to XXIV)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new edition, volume (please specify the book number), London: Charles Knight and Co., […], 1843, →OCLC:

(archery) The notch at the rear of an arrow that fits on the bowstring.


nock

(archery) fit the arrow to your bowstring


eventer

(equestrianism) The rider of a horse used in eventing.


champ at the bit

en-verb

champ at the bit (third-person singular simple present champs at the bit, present participle champing at the bit, simple past and past participle champed at the bit)

champs at the bit (present singular third-person)
champing at the bit (participle present)
champed at the bit (participle past)
champed at the bit (past)

From champ (verb) (“to chew noisily”) + bit (“part of horse's harness held in its mouth”); horses tend to chew their bits when impatient with waiting.

(intransitive, equestrianism) To bite the bit, especially when restless.


skateboard truck

en-noun

skateboard truck (plural skateboard trucks)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-skateboard truck.wav

(skateboarding) One of a pair of devices, consisting of a baseplate, cushioned axle and pivot, that allows a skateboarder to turn the board by leaning.


back row

back rows (plural)
back-row (alternative)
backrow (alternative)

(rugby) The row of players in a scrum, consisting of two flankers and a number eight.


doosra

From Hindi दूसरा (dūsrā, “second; other”).

2022, Amit Sinha, Joy Bhattacharjya, Do Different: The Untold Dhoni
Known for his innovative and unpredictable strokeplay, Dhoni had dead-batted this doosra straight back to the bowler.

(cricket) A type of ball, bowled by an off-spin bowler, that, unlike a normal off break, spins from leg to off for a right-handed batsman; the off-spinner's version of the googly.


high-marking

(sports) An activity specific to snowmobiling, where a snowmobile attempts to ride as far as possible up a steep slope, then turn and come down without rolling or stalling on the hill.


penalty shootout

penalty shootout (plural penalty shootouts)

penalty shootouts (plural)
penalty shoot-out (alternative)

This was an eighth game without defeat, penalty shootouts aside, over Hodgson's brief tenure but, by the end, this whole occasion had been stripped of any competitive nature.

2012 September 7, Dominic Fifield, “England start World Cup campaign with five-goal romp against Moldova”, in The Guardian:

(soccer, field hockey) A series of penalties (penalty kicks in soccer), taken to decide a winner after a game has resulted in a tie and extra time has been played.


penalty kick

(soccer) A form of direct free kick, taken from the penalty spot after a defensive foul in the penalty box, with only the goalkeeper defending the goal.

(rugby) A form of free kick in which the ball may be kicked towards touch, towards the goal or dribbled.


penalty spot

(soccer) a small white spot, painted on the grass, twelve yards in front of the centre of the goal line, from which all penalty kicks are taken


goal line

(rugby league, soccer, hurling, Gaelic football) the boundary of the field that runs along its width at each end, and across the front of the goal.

rugby league; hurling; Gaelic football; rugby league; hurling; Gaelic football

(American football) part of a vertical plane separating an end zone from the field of play when the ball is touched or is in player possession. The plane extends beyond the sidelines. A team’s goal line is that which it is defending.

(ice hockey) the red line that runs across the rink and the front of the goal.


free kick

a free-kick specialist

(American football, soccer, Australian rules football, rugby, other ballgames) a kick in which a player may kick the ball without interference from the opposition. Such a kick may be awarded for a foul by the opposition, or earned by a player such as by taking a mark.

Australian rules football; other ballgames; Australian rules football; other ballgames

goditje e lirë

kick played without interference of opposition


direct free kick

direct free kick (plural direct free kicks)

(soccer) a free kick from which a goal may be scored directly


indirect free kick

indirect free kick (plural indirect free kicks)

(soccer) a free kick from which a goal may be scored only after the ball has been played by at least one other player


shut up shop

en-verb

shut up shop (third-person singular simple present shuts up shop, present participle shutting up shop, simple past and past participle shut up shop)

shuts up shop (present singular third-person)
shutting up shop (participle present)
shut up shop (participle past)
shut up shop (past)

(intransitive, cricket) To bat defensively in the last innings of a match in order to force a draw when winning is not possible.


scratch

scratch (third-person singular simple present scratches, present participle scratching, simple past and past participle scratched)

scratches (present singular third-person)
scratching (participle present)
scratched (participle past)
scratched (past)

From Middle English scracchen, of uncertain origin. Probably a blend of Middle English scratten (“to scratch”) and cracchen (“to scratch”). More at scrat and cratch.

scratch a liberal and you'll find a fascist

you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

Embarrassingly, he scratched on the break, popping the cue completely off the table.

(billiards) To commit a foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.

(billiards, dated, US) To score, not by skillful play but by some fortunate chance of the game.

Kerley, 26, is the 2019 World bronze medalist at 400 meters, a distance he is known for and with which he also won the 2017 and 2019 U.S. titles, but surprised the track world by announcing one week ago that he scratched the 400m and would focus on the 100m and 200m in Eugene, Oregon, despite not having raced the 100m between 2015 and 2020.

2021 June 21, Brandon Penny, NBC Sports:

Hurtis-Houairi, in lane three, quickly caught Arron, who was in lane four, winning in 22.80. Arron, who scratched the 100m semis in order to focus on the longer sprint, could only run 23.44.

2008 July 26, P-J Vazel, World Athletics:

(swimming, athletics) To announce one's non-participation in a race or sports event part of a larger sports meeting that one was previously signed up for, usually in lieu of another event at the same meeting.


scratch

en-noun

scratch (countable and uncountable, plural scratches)

He started a few seconds before the time and came up in speed to the scratch at the moment appointed.

1820, Reuben Percy, Sholto Percy, The Percy Anecdotes:

A starting line (originally and simply, a line scratched in the ground), as in boxing.

A technical error of touching or surpassing the starting mark prior to the official start signal in the sporting events of long jump, discus, hammer throw, shot put, and similar. Originally the starting mark was a scratch on the ground but is now a board or precisely indicated mark.

Eventually the elephant and camel were despatched by themselves with two laps start of the bicyclist and horse, the motor car being scratch.

1901, “Gleanings”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record, volume 4, number 1, page 31:

(cycling) The last riders to depart in a handicap race.

A foul in pool, as where the cue ball is put into a pocket or jumps off the table.

(archaic, US, slang) A shot which scores by chance and not as intended by the player; a fluke.

There were two scratches in race 8, which reduced the field from nine horses to seven.

(horse racing) A horse withdrawn from a race prior to the start.


scratch

... the shot that does most to make a genuine scratch golfer is the mashie shot up to the pin — not merely up to the green.

1964, Charles Price, The American golfer, page 48:

(sports) (of a player) Of a standard high enough to play without a handicap, i.e. to compete without the benefit of a variation in scoring based on ability.


DH

designated hitter
designated hitter#English

(baseball) Initialism of designated hitter.


designated hitter

designated hitter (plural designated hitters)

(baseball) A batter who is permitted to substitute for a pitcher in the batting rotation for the duration of a baseball game.


hitter

From hit + -er (agent noun suffix) or -er (measurement suffix).

He struck out six of the last seven batters, striking out the side in the eighth and fanning two hitters in the ninth.

1994 June 24, The Associated Press, “BASEBALL; A's Witt, Nearly Perfect, Says It's Ump Who Wasn't”, in The New York Times:

Mike Flanagan (1-2) hurled a four-hitter in 50-degree weather made colder by wind gusting up to 25 miles an hour. […] Ross Baumgarten (2-1) combined with Lamarr Hoyt on a seven-hitter to hand Detroit its sixth straight loss.

1981 April 26, UPI, “Royals Top Brewers on Gura's 3-Hitter, 4-2”, in The New York Times:

Witt, who had thrown three two-hitters in his career, was in control throughout and showed no signs of fatigue.

You’ve never pitched a no-hitter or a one-hitter or a two-hitter or a three-hitter, because you’ve never pitched nine innings.

2021 May 5, Tyler Kepner, “With No-Hitter, John Means Opens Up a World of Possibilities”, in The New York Times:

(baseball, in combination) A game with a team making a specified number of hits.


up to bat

(baseball) Preparing to have or having one's turn to attempt to hit the ball.


supplier

Regular supplier Barton played in another teasing corner, which was headed on towards goal by the impressive Ameobi and flicked in by expert poacher Nolan.

2011 January 16, Saj Chowdhury, “Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle”, in BBC:

(soccer) Someone who assists (sets up) a goal.


runout

runout (countable and uncountable, plural runouts)

(cricket) The method of getting out (dismissed from play) in which a batsman, in making a run, has not reached the popping crease when a fielder breaks his wicket with the ball.

(skiing) A relatively flat portion at the end of a ski run to slow down, or to connect trails.

If, as people often say, skiing is like sex, then the run-out that follows a great run—that breezy pole-and-glide along a logging road, stream, or moraine back to the lift, hut, truck, or bar—is the cigarette in bed.

2011 September 13, Nick Paumgarten, “Ode to Happy Endings: Celebrating the least appreciated aspect of a great run.”, in Skiing, archived from the original on 2011-12-10:

(skiing) Slowing down at the end of a ski run, skiing on a runout.


drifting

drifting (countable and uncountable, plural driftings)

(motor racing) A driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner.


juice monkey

(slang, chiefly sports) A steroid or testosterone abuser.


gridiron

gridiron (countable and uncountable, plural gridirons)

From resembling the shape of a gridiron (a square rectilinear grid).

(American football) The field on which American football is played.


DOGSO

The referees failed to spot the shirt pull from Jackson during play but after VAR review he was correctly awarded the DOGSO red card.

(soccer, US, Canada) Acronym of denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.


pound-for-pound

Sugar Ray Robinson is pound for pound the best boxer ever.

Oakland native Ward is now unbeaten in 25 fights and can now claim to be one of the top few pound-for-pound fighters on the planet after a technically dazzling display.

2011 December 18, Ben Dirs, “Carl Froch outclassed by dazzling Andre Ward”, in BBC Sport:

(sports, boxing) A comparison of fighters' (usually boxers) skill levels, regardless of what weight class they are in.


deconstruct

en-verb

deconstruct (third-person singular simple present deconstructs, present participle deconstructing, simple past and past participle deconstructed)

deconstructs (present singular third-person)
deconstructing (participle present)
deconstructed (participle past)
deconstructed (past)

2014 June 16, Ian Levy, The Spurs’ Deconstruction of the Heat Is Now Complete:

(transitive, especially US sports) To destroy.


PECOTA

(baseball) Initialism of Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm, a system for forecasting player performance.


prone out

prone out (third-person singular simple present prones out, present participle proning out, simple past and past participle proned out)

prones out (present singular third-person)
proning out (participle present)
proned out (participle past)
proned out (past)

I proned out in the white water, letting the wave break over me inside, riding the white water into the deep channel.

2012, Ted Gugelyk, Mango Lady & Other Stories from Hawaii:

(intransitive, surfing) To lie flat on one's board (face down) in order to be propelled shorewards by a broken wave.


leg rope

Laird Hamilton considers the leg rope the single most dangerous thing involved when surfing waves over 20 feet.

2011, Douglas Booth, Surfing: The Ultimate Guide, page 102:

(surfing) A cord tied to the surfboard (usually near the tail) and attached to the surfer's leg.


cream puff

cream puffs (plural)
creampuff (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-cream puff.wav

So instead of lobbing a cream puff, I kicked up my leg and brought the Ruttlemyer Express.

2000, W. P. Kinsella, Baseball Fantastic: Stories:

Joseph “Stretch” Suba, a batting-practice pitcher, served up “big, fat, medium fast cream puffs for the All-Star hitters […]

2011, Paul Dickson, Skip McAfee, The Dickson Baseball Dictionary (Third Edition), page 225:


tori

Borrowed from Japanese 取り, from 取る (toru, “take, pick up”).

(judo, martial arts) One who executes a technique against the training partner, or uke.


free agent

(sports) A professional athlete who is free to play for or sign a contract to play for any team.


futurity

en-noun

futurity (countable and uncountable, plural futurities)

/fjuːˈt͡ʃʊəɹɪti/

(horse racing) A race for two-year-old horses, nominated to run when still foals.


spitball

(baseball) A pitch of a baseball that has been partly covered with saliva, illegal at most levels.


spitball

en-verb

spitball (third-person singular simple present spitballs, present participle spitballing, simple past and past participle spitballed)

spitballs (present singular third-person)
spitballing (participle present)
spitballed (participle past)
spitballed (past)

(baseball) To moisten the ball with saliva before pitching it.


ownage

Smith is just 1-27 lifetime against Jones. Jones has real ownage over him.

On August 23, 1993, the Braves came into San Francisco trailing the Giants by 7.5 games. The Braves swept the Giants in that pivotal series, and starting with that series, the Giants have won just 13 out of 51 games against the Braves. As Mike Krukow likes to say, "That's some serious ownage."

1998 August 9, Jack K, “Mesa = GAS CAN”, in alt.sports.baseball.sf-giants (Usenet), retrieved 2016-09-24, message-ID <35CE80E1.B14B2A97@pacbell.net>:

(baseball) The situation where one player has a history of domination over another player.


squared circle

(sports, boxing, wrestling, professional wrestling) The boxing or wrestling ring.


gruelling

/ˈɡɹu.əl.ɪŋ/

From present particle of gruel (“to exhaust, punish”), from gruel (noun).

The expenses are considerably reduced, and one or two men are prevented from carrying off nearly all the races ; for though " the spirit" may be ever so " willing," the " flesh is weak," and cannot stand more than five or six gruellings in a single day.

1869, John William Carleton, The Sporting review, ed. by 'Craven'., page 394:

Miss Harriet just got there first from Vauban, the latter being leg weary from his previous gruellings ; the bitch scored four more before giving way to the dog, who made some nice driving points ; Miss Harriet, coming again, finished a good trial an easy winner.

1871, The COURSING CALENDAR For The AUTUMN SEASON 1870, page 229:

The course was given to the black puppy, but his chance was generally considered to have been utterly destroyed by the two gruellings he had received.

1907, James Blyth, The irrevocable, and other stories, page 230:

When "Red Robin's" other great son, "Dee Rock", was retired to stud in 1935 I recollect, too, the pessimistic prophecies of those sceptics that a dog that had endured so many gruellings in the field would never accomplish much at stud.

1949, H. Edwards Clarke, The modern greyhound, page 66:

(horse racing) A race in which the animal being raced finishes in a state of physical exhaustion.


lock up

lock up (third-person singular simple present locks up, present participle locking up, simple past and past participle locked up)

locks up (present singular third-person)
locking up (participle present)
locked up (participle past)
locked up (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-lock up.wav

Twelve laps later, Leclerc locked up at the first chicane and clattered over the run-off area. Again, Hamilton got a run on him, and this time Leclerc defended robustly through the flat-out Curva Grande, moving very late to block Hamilton to the Ferrari's left.

2019 September 8, Andrew Benson, BBC Sport:

(intransitive, motor racing) To (mistakenly) cause or have one of one's wheels to lock up (stop spinning).


dedans

(court tennis) A division, at one end of a tennis court, for spectators.


polonaise

polonaises (plural)
polonese (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-polonaise.wav

Borrowed from French polonaise (“Polish”).

(dance) A stately Polish dance in triple time and moderate tempo.


body check

(sports) A move in ice hockey or lacrosse in which a player impedes another with his body


body check

body check (third-person singular simple present body checks, present participle body checking, simple past and past participle body checked)

body checks (present singular third-person)
body checking (participle present)
body checked (participle past)
body checked (past)

(sports) To perform a body check on someone.


bends

decompression sickness
decompression sickness#English

(underwater diving, pathology, usually with the) Synonym of decompression sickness.


Hammers

(soccer) Someone who supports or plays for West Ham United F.C.


out of bounds

(sports) A sideline marking the edge of a playing field or court.

Although Oklahoma outyarded the Jays 339 to 155, Kansas fought magnificently and earned its 13-13 tie. Royal's punting had begun to jell. He kicked four out-of-bounds against the Crimson and Blue.

1984, Harold Keith, Forty-Seven Straight: The Wilkinson Era at Oklahoma, Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, published 2003, →ISBN, page 28:

(sports) An instance of a player or the ball going out of bounds.


play the field

play the field (third-person singular simple present plays the field, present participle playing the field, simple past and past participle played the field)

plays the field (present singular third-person)
playing the field (participle present)
played the field (participle past)
played the field (past)

(UK, horseracing) To cut one's losses by betting on every racehorse other than the crowd favorite.


bottle up

bottle up (third-person singular simple present bottles up, present participle bottling up, simple past and past participle bottled up)

bottles up (present singular third-person)
bottling up (participle present)
bottled up (participle past)
bottled up (past)

Darrion Trammell and San Diego State used a dominant defensive performance to knock top overall seed Alabama out of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night, bottling up All-America freshman Brandon Miller in a 71-64 victory in the Sweet 16.

2023 March 25, “San Diego State ousts Alabama as all four No. 1 seeds fall short of Elite 8 for 1st time”, in CBC News, archived from the original on 2023-04-08:

Arguably the most important sequence of the game came with less than 30 seconds to play and the Nuggets clinging to a 90-89 lead. Butler drove to the rim but got bottled up in the post by Murray and Jokic then tried to find teammate Max Strus in the corner, but the ball was stolen by Nuggets swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope -- and the Heat were forced to foul.

2013 June 13, Nick Friedell, “Spoelstra, Heat bow out with 'no regrets on our end'”, in ABC News, archived from the original on 2023-06-14:

(sports, slang) To prevent (an opponent) from achieving any effective action.


Lord's

(cricket) Lord's Cricket Ground, a cricket ground in London.


one-time

one-time (third-person singular simple present one-times, present participle one-timing, simple past and past participle one-timed)

one-times (present singular third-person)
one-timing (participle present)
one-timed (participle past)
one-timed (past)

Basel's good moment continued, and in stoppage time of the first half, Streller released Salah with a clever pass down the middle and the young Egyptian one-timed the ball over Čech.

2013 May 3, Werner Pichler, “Europa League 2012/13, Semifinal, 2nd Leg (R)”, in rec.sport.soccer (Usenet):

(soccer, ice hockey) To shoot (the ball or puck) directly from a teammate's pass.


clag

From Middle English claggen, probably of Scandinavian origin. Compare Swedish klägg and Old English clǣġ.

He ran wide in the corner, hit the clag and spun off.

(motor racing slang) Bits of rubber which are shed from tires during a race and collect off the racing line, especially on the outside of corners (cf. marbles).


night watchman

night watchmen (plural)
nightwatchman (alternative)

(cricket) A lower order batter to play the last overs in low light to save better batters for the next day's play.


enhanced

en-adj

enhanced (comparative more enhanced, superlative most enhanced)

more enhanced (comparative)
most enhanced (superlative)

Big, enhanced mass monsters that tremble the ground they walk on, lift tons (literally), and get winded going up a flight of stairs.
 Of course, there are other areas of the sport such as natural bodybuilders, physique competitors, and pro and amateur levels of contests.

2020 September 3, Brad Borland, “Bodybuilding 101: Sculpting a Powerful Physique”, in Breaking Muscles:

(bodybuilding, euphemistic) Having suffered the use of anabolic steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.


punchy

punchy (comparative punchier, superlative punchiest)

punchier (comparative)
punchiest (superlative)

(skiing) Of groomed snow: unable to support the weight of a skier, especially when the skier’s weight is all on one ski, resulting in a ski punching through the surface of the snow.


tag-team

en-verb

tag-team (third-person singular simple present tag-teams, present participle tag-teaming, simple past and past participle tag-teamed)

tag-teams (present singular third-person)
tag-teaming (participle present)
tag-teamed (participle past)
tag-teamed (past)

We haven't tag-teamed in the ring for quite a while.

2010, Hulk Hogan, My Life Outside the Ring, →ISBN:

I suggested, to no avail, that WWF (nature) should sponsor a fluffy black-and-white wrestler called the Panda, tag-teamed with the Game Warden.

2012, Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles, →ISBN, page 171:

Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling David Shoemaker. He had some success, ... He tag-teamed with Tony Atlas (known variously as "Black Superman" and "Mr. USA") and, later, Andre the Giant, to some success.

2013, David Shoemaker, The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling, →ISBN, page 127:

(professional wrestling) To wrestle as part of a tag team (sense 1).


tag team

Probably from tag (“children’s chasing game in which one player (known as ‘it’) attempts to touch another, who then becomes ‘it’; (baseball) instance of touching the baserunner with the ball or the ball in a gloved hand to rule him ‘out’”) + team.

compound

(professional wrestling) A group of wrestlers who work together as a team. Only one is in the ring at any given time, and they change places by "tagging" each other with a gesture like a high five.


kick-off

kick-offs (plural)
kickoff (alternative)

The atmosphere at Upton Park before kick-off reflected the palpable tension surrounding the club right now

2011 January 11, Jonathan Stevenson, “West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham”, in BBC:

Alcohol consumption following football matches is fuelling domestic abuse in the hours after a game, according to new evidence suggesting that changing kick-off times could help reduce violence.

2021 July 4, Michael Savage, “Early kick-offs linked to more alcohol abuse and violence in the home”, in The Observer:

(soccer, American football) The opening kick of each half of a game of football.


set piece

set pieces (plural)
setpiece (alternative)
set-piece (alternative)

Roberto Carlos is deadly from set pieces.

(soccer) Any planned strategy that a team uses after play is restarted with a free kick, penalty kick, corner kick, goal kick, throw-in or kickoff.


wingback

(soccer) A player who doubles on either side of the center as a defender when their team is defending, and a winger when they are attacking.

carrilero

soccer: player who doubles as a defender and winger

(American football) A running back who is in formation near the line of scrimmage and outside the tackles, a slotback.


own goal

own goals (plural)
own-goal (alternative)

It is 20 years to the day since Escobar was shot dead after scoring the own goal that effectively sealed Colombia’s elimination from USA ’94.

2014 July 2, Jeremy Wilson, “Andrés Escobar murder: Colombia prepare for biggest ever World Cup match on 20th anniversary of death”, in The Daily Telegraph:

(sports) A goal that results from a player putting the ball or puck into the goal of their own team; the resulting goal being scored for the opposition.

autogol

goal scored by player against their own team


back straight

He got boxed in amongst four African runners in the back straight of the last lap, and was only able to get out into the clear coming into the home straight.

(athletics, horse racing) The straight part of a racetrack, running track, etc., opposite the finishing line; the backstretch.


home straight

Coordinate term: back straight

He was only able to get out into the clear coming into the home straight.

(athletics) The straight part of a running track (or similar) leading to the finishing line.


chipper

(golf) A golf club for making chip shots.


wd

(sports) Abbreviation of withdrew (from an event).


center field

(baseball) The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and straight ahead left if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

(baseball) The defensive position in the outfield in the middle, typically played by a player that can run fast.


right field

(baseball) The part of a baseball field which is beyond the infield and to your right if you stand on home plate and face the pitcher.

He's got a cannon out in right field.

(baseball) The defensive position in the outfield to the right, typically played by a player who can throw well.


catcher's mitt

en-noun

catcher's mitt (plural catcher's mitts or catchers' mitts)

catcher's mitts (plural)
catchers' mitts (plural)

(baseball) A large protective glove used by a catcher when playing baseball.


on the defensive

Brazil's greater quality and assurance in possession meant England spent much of the game on the defensive.

2017 November 14, Phil McNulty, “England 0-0 Brazil”, in BBC News:

(sports) defending; playing a defensive game


take the fall

en-verb

take the fall (third-person singular simple present takes the fall, present participle taking the fall, simple past took the fall, past participle taken the fall)

takes the fall (present singular third-person)
taking the fall (participle present)
took the fall (past)
taken the fall (participle past)
take a fall (alternative)

(idiomatic, informal, sports, especially boxing) To willingly lose a match, as in a fixed fight.


Cubs

Abbreviation of "Cub Scouts" or "Chicago Cubs".


shinty

en-noun

shinty (countable and uncountable, plural shinties)

To the city's large population of Highlanders, it was a portal to home, a place where you could speak Gaelic and sing it, buy tickets to the Glasgow Skye Association's annual dance, squabble about shinty arrange a lift to Ullapool, read the classifieds in the West Highland Free Press.

2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 156:

(sports, uncountable) A game derived from hurling, and resembling hockey, played in Scotland.

(sports, countable) The stick used to strike the ball in this game, similar to a hockey stick.


dead rubber

(sports) In a series of sporting fixtures, a match of which the result is irrelevant, the winner of the series having already been determined by earlier results.


rimless

Took aim and scored, a sure, rimless basket.

(basketball) Not touching the rim of the basket while passing through it.


cotillion

cotillions (plural)
cotillon (alternative)

/kəʊtɪlˈjɒ̃/

Circa 1750, in the sense of the dance, from French cotillon (“petticoat”), extended to the dance because of the distinctive lift of dress revealing the petticoat, from cotte (“dress”) + -illon (diminutive). Said to derive from the then-popular song Ma commère, quand je danse, mon cotillion va-t-il bien.

Mrs. Hughes now joined them, and asked Miss Tilney if she was ready to go. "I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing you again soon," said Catherine. "Shall you be at the cotillion ball tomorrow?"

1803 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter X, in Northanger Abbey; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC:

The second figure [of the dance] commenced, and I made a sad bungle; so I did of the third, and fourth, and fifth, for I never had danced a cotillon.

1833, [Frederick Marryat], chapter XII, in Peter Simple. […], volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, […], published 1834, →OCLC, page 200:

(dance) A bold dance performed in groups of eight where women lift their skirts to display their ankles.


crip

en-verb

crip (third-person singular simple present crips, present participle cripping, simple past and past participle cripped)

crips (present singular third-person)
cripping (participle present)
cripped (participle past)
cripped (past)

crip up

to imitate a disabled person as a role while acting


retire the side

retire the side (third-person singular simple present retires the side, present participle retiring the side, simple past and past participle retired the side)

retires the side (present singular third-person)
retiring the side (participle present)
retired the side (participle past)
retired the side (past)

[…] and that will retire the side [sportscaster patter]

Jones steps on first to retire the side.

(baseball) To get the third out of an inning, thus ending the turn of one team (side) for batting and signaling the next turn of the other team (side).


bat around

bat around (third-person singular simple present bats around, present participle batting around, simple past and past participle batted around)

bats around (present singular third-person)
batting around (participle present)
batted around (participle past)
batted around (past)
bat about (alternative)

If the teams do not have the same number of players, the team with the greater number of players bats around once per inning, and the team with the smaller number of players will bat an equal number of times as the opposing team,[…].

1965, Recreation, National Recreation Association, page 498:

[…]the Braves knocked Bunning out, batting around and scoring six runs in the fourth inning. They then scored four more runs the next inning, batting around once again against Dallas Green[…].

2005, John P. Rossi, The 1964 Phillies: The Story of Baseball's Most Memorable Collapse, McFarland, →ISBN, page 128:

The Phillies thus batted around the lineup without a hit for the first time since July 17, 1992, a run that lasted more than 24 years, per ESPN Stats & Info. If not for the inning-ending double play, the Phillies might have even sent 10 or 11 batters to the plate without recording a single hit.

2016 July 31, Bleacher Report Milestones, “Phillies Bat Around in 8th Inning Without Recording a Hit”, in Bleacher Report:

(intransitive, baseball) To have each of a team's batting line-up positions complete an at-bat in the same half-inning.

To have a team's first batter of the inning come to bat for a second time (after all of the others in the batting line-up have batted). (See the usage note below.)


dribbler

(sports) A person who performs dribbling.


buttress

buttresses (plural)
buttrice (alternative)

From Old French ars bouterez (noun, literally “supporting arcs”), from bouterez (adj), oblique plural of bouteret (rare in the singular), from Frankish *bôtan, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to push”). Ultimately cognate with beat.

der

Crowell Buttresses, Dismal Buttress

All that day they rode into broken land. The prairie with its grass and rolling hills was behind them, and they entered a sparse, dry, rocky country, full of draws and short cañons and ominous buttresses.

2005, Will Cook, Until Darkness Disappears, page 54:

Two short pitches up a chimney-crack are followed by a traverse right to the centre of the buttress.

2010, Tony Howard, Treks and Climbs in Wadi Rum, Jordan, →ISBN, page 84:

(climbing) A feature jutting prominently out from a mountain or rock.

рид

feature jutting out from mountain; crag, bluff


fourth official

en-noun

fourth official (plural fourth officials)

(soccer) The official who keeps things at the dugout in order, and displays substitutions and the amount of injury time


injury time

(sports) Additional time played after each period of a game in order to compensate for stoppages due to player injuries; loosely extended to include time added on to compensate for all types of stoppages, i.e. synonymous with stoppage time.

وَقْتٌ بَدَلُ الضَّائِع

additional time played straight after each of the two halves


centre circle

centre circles (plural)
center circle (alternative)

Vardy should have equalled Dunne’s record nine minutes in, when he dispossessed Williams in the centre circle and sped clear.

2015 December 5, Alan Smith, “Leicester City back on top as Riyad Mahrez hat-trick downs Swansea City”, in The Guardian (London):

(soccer) The circle in the centre of the pitch which, at kick-off, the defending team may not enter until the attacking side has touched the ball.

cercle central

the circle in the centre of the pitch in soccer


six-yard box

Roman Sharonov rose unchallenged to head a corner wide, while diminutive winger Gokdeniz Karadeniz ghosted in with a diving header from the edge of the six-yard box that was acrobatically kept out by Gomes.

2011 October 20, Jamie Lillywhite, “Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer) An enclosed area inside the penalty area, extending 6 yards (5.5 metres) from the goal, inside which a goal kick must be taken.


penalty area

Racing out of his penalty area after a poor clearance, Haimov was beaten to the ball by Jerome, who rolled it to the waiting Shotton to fire a low shot past the goalkeeper.

2011 October 20, Michael da Silva, “Stoke 3 - 0 Macc Tel-Aviv”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer, futsal) An area of a pitch or field, inside which a penalty is given to the offensive team if a foul is made by the defensive team.


coxswain

coxswains (plural)
cockswain (alternative)

From Middle English cokswain; equivalent to cock (“a boat”) + swain (“boy, servant”); hence “the master of a boat”.

compound

(rowing) The member of a crew who steers the shell and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers.


professional foul

en-noun

professional foul (plural professional fouls)

(sports) An intentional foul, usually committed to prevent a scoring opportunity.


penalty arc

(soccer) An arc whose center is the penalty spot, extending from the top of the penalty area.


out-swinger

(soccer) A ball that curves away from the goal.


in-swinger

(soccer) A ball that curves towards the goal.

(cricket) A delivery that curves towards the batsman.


goalmouth

There were still 20 minutes remaining but the pace refused to relent. Kalou should have scored his second of the night after he was released by Anelka but his side-foot effort from inside the area struck both posts before spinning away from the goalmouth.

2011 February 1, Saj Chowdhury, “Sunderland 2 - 4 Chelsea”, in BBC:

(sports) The space between the goalposts through which the ball, puck, etc has to pass in order to score


onside

on side (alternative)
on-side (alternative)

The goal was allowed because the attacker was onside.

After passing the puck, the center immediately breaks to the front of the net, making certain to stay onside.

2004, Bruce Driver, Clare Wharton, The Baffled Parent's Guide to Coaching Youth Hockey, page 178:

Rafael van der Vaart then stayed onside to slot past Paddy Kenny when he collected Ledley King's mis-hit shot.

2011 October 30, Alistair Magowan, “Tottenham 3 - 1 QPR”, in BBC Sport:

The difference in recovery percentage between surprise onside kicks and non-surprise onside kicks is striking.

2012, Jeffrey Ma, The House Advantage: Playing the Odds to Win Big In Business, →ISBN:

If the ball carrier you are doubling gets the ball through the lane, the rotation is as follows: The onside man who was denying his man the ball continues the same technique.

2018, Jack B. Kaley, Richard B. Donovan, Lacrosse Essentials, →ISBN, page 113:

(sports) Not in an offside position; In the part of the playing area where one can legally play the ball, puck, etc.


onside

onsides (plural)
on side (alternative)
on-side (alternative)

(sports) The portion of the playing area where one can legally play the ball, puck, etc.


offside trap

offside trap (usually uncountable, plural offside traps)

He managed to beat the offside trap and clinch the winner.

But the visitors started the game in stunning fashion when Morten Gamst Pedersen dinked forward a clever looping pass and Kalinic beat the offside trap, surged into the box and beautifully placed the ball past goalkeeper Scott Carson.

2010 December 28, Kevin Darlin, “West Brom 1 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC:

(soccer) A defensive play intended to catch the attacking team offside, generally in such a way that the defense line suddenly and simultaneously moves forward.


midfielder

→ Japanese: ミッドフィールダー (middofīrudā)

The game was engulfed in controversy when Rodwell appeared to win the ball cleanly in a midfield challenge with Suarez. The tackle drew an angry response from Liverpool's players- Lucas in particular as Suarez writhed in agony - but it was an obvious injustice when the England Under-21 midfielder was shown the red card.

2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0 - 2 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:

(sports) A player who operates behind the attackers and in front of the defence.


man on

(soccer, basketball) An outcry warning a teammate of an approaching opponent, usually from the rear.


slide tackle

Christian Karembeu almost broke his supermodel wife's leg with a slide tackle during a football game in their back garden.

2002 February 27, “Cruncher Karembeu takes it out on his wife”, in The Guardian:

(soccer) a tackle to get the ball by sliding on the ground feet-first


Cruyff turn

Cruyff turns (plural)
Cruijff turn (alternative)

Named after Dutch football player Johan Cruyff (1947–2016).

(soccer) A piece of footwork where, instead of passing or crossing the ball directly by kicking it, the player drags the ball behind his planted foot with the inside of his crossing foot, turns through 180 degrees, and accelerates away from the defender.


diving header

To that end, the home supporters were in good voice to begin with, but it was Newcastle who started the game in the ascendancy, with Barton putting a diving header over the top from Jose Enrique's cross.

2011 April 10, Alistair Magowan, “Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer) A ball struck near ground level by the head of a diving player.


drop-ball

(soccer) A method of restarting play in a game where the referee drops the ball between two players of opposing teams.


backheel

[Bendtner was central to it at all, firstly firing home, via a deflection off Gareth McAuley, after being teed up by Sebastien Larsson's neat backheel, and then a minute later crossing for Elmohamady to head in an equaliser.

2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer) A kick played by the heel which typically travels in the opposite direction from which the player is facing.

(wrestling) A method of tripping or throwing by getting the leg back of the opponent's heel on the outside and pulling forward while pushing his body back.


backheel

en-verb

backheel (third-person singular simple present backheels, present participle backheeling, simple past and past participle backheeled)

backheels (present singular third-person)
backheeling (participle present)
backheeled (participle past)
backheeled (past)

Mount’s low cross deflected, Olivier Giroud backheeled for Pulisic and Arsenal’s defenders seemed to react in slow motion.

2020 August 1, David Hytner, “Aubameyang at the double as Arsenal turn tables on Chelsea to win FA Cup”, in The Guardian:

(wrestling) To perform such a trip or throw.


one-two

A Ricketts and Stuart Holden one-two around the box then created a decent chance for an almost instant equaliser - but Welsh full-back Ricketts blasted over when a calmer finish could have been rewarded.

2010 December 29, Chris Whyatt, “Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton”, in BBC:

Kane had dropped off to spread the play with a diagonal and, when he darted for the far post, Saka curled the ball back towards him – call it a long-range one-two.

March 26 2023, David Hytner, “Kane and Bukayo Saka combine against Ukraine for England’s perfect Euros start”, in The Guardian:

(soccer) A quick one-touch play between two players.

narážečka

soccer: quick one-touch play between two players

(boxing) A one-two punch; two punches delivered in rapid succession

une-deux

boxing: two-punches delivered in rapid succession

(motor racing) A race victory such that two (often both) cars of a constructor or team finish first and second in the race.


FCK

It came down to the penultimate game of the year, FCK away at Brondby, and Brondby blew it.

2003, David Goldblatt, World Soccer Yearbook 2003-2004, →ISBN:

This did not deter Flemming Østergaard, a charismatic businessman that led the takeover of FC Copenhagen (FCK) in 1997, from embarking on a similar diversification strategy (Storm, 2009). FCK went on to purchase the Danish national stadium, Parken, took up property investments, a bought a chain of fitness centres (fitness.dk) and two large vactations resorts, one of them close to the LEGOLAND Theme Park in Billund.

2011, Hallgeir Gammelsæter, Benoit Senaux, The Organisation and Governance of Top Football Across Europe, →ISBN:

An FCK soccer scarf was draped over a chair.

2012, A.J. Kazinski -, The Last Good Man, →ISBN, page 426:

It's therefore worth spending time at the website of FC København. You can browse FCK TV, OM FCK, which is presumably a Zen-like activity that Sting and Trudie Styler would enjoy, and have a MIT FCK. There are FCK highlights, KlubFCK, and FCK Away. There's something for everyone.

2014, Luke Dempsey, Club Soccer 101, →ISBN:

(soccer) Initialism of FC København (“FC Copenhagen”).

Sportarztebund Rheinland/Pfalz (chmn. since 1964), assn. and team med. doctor for 1st FCK Kaiserslautern (football club).

1983, Karl Strute, Theodor Doelken, Who's Who in Germany 1982-1983 - Part 1, →ISBN, page 1253:

This was my first opportunity to meet FCK supporters, and I was intoxicated by their merch table before I even entered the stadium.

2014, Tanya H. Keith, Passionate Soccer Love: A Memoir of 20 Years Supporting Us Soccer, →ISBN:

FC Kaiserslautern (FCK) was the first football club in the Bundesliga (German Federal Football League) to create a team, initially, and then a section for women's football.

2018, Gertrud Pfister, Stacey Pope, Female Football Players and Fans: Intruding into a Man's World, →ISBN:

1. FC Kaiserslautern
w:1. FC Kaiserslautern

(soccer) Initialism of 1. FC Kaiserslautern.


send down

send down (third-person singular simple present sends down, present participle sending down, simple past and past participle sent down)

sends down (present singular third-person)
sending down (participle present)
sent down (participle past)
sent down (past)

After performing poorly for the first month of the season, he was sent down to the minor leagues.

(baseball) To demote a player within the levels of professional baseball.


Mendoza line

After shortstop Mario Mendoza, whose lifetime batting average is taken to define the threshold of minimally competent hitting.

His recent slump has put him perilously close to the Mendoza line; he may be headed to AAA soon.

(baseball) A .200 batting average, which is around the minimum batting average a player with strong defensive skills can have and still stay in the major leagues. Named for Mario Mendoza.


pinch runner

pinch runners (plural)
pinch-runner (alternative)

(baseball) A substitute runner, usually brought in to replace a slow runner to increase the chance of that runner scoring.


grand final

(sports, chiefly Australia) The culmination of a series of final matches played between a number of sporting teams.


quick pitch

Following some confusion the pitcher immediately attempted a quick pitch but was called for a balk.

(baseball) A pitch thrown without any of the normal setup routine to try and catch a batter off guard.


Ruthian

en-adj

Ruthian (comparative more Ruthian, superlative most Ruthian)

more Ruthian (comparative)
most Ruthian (superlative)

From "Babe" Ruth, holder of the record for number of home runs in a season from 1919 to 1961, and for home runs in a career from 1921 to 1974.

Jones launches a Ruthian blast; it lands high in the upper deck.

(baseball) Prodigiously accomplished with respect to batting, typically describing the flight of a long home run.


halftime

en-noun

halftime (countable and uncountable, plural halftimes)

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(American football) The halftime show, the primary light entertainment of a game, after the second quarter, when players can physically recover, coaches can give players a pep talk, bets can be doubled, etc.


half-time

half-time (countable and uncountable, plural half-times)

half-times (plural)
halftime (alternative)
half time (alternative)

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Let's get some pizza at half-time.

(sports) The interval between the two halves of a sports match.

Halbzeit f (also means either of the two halves)


go up

en-verb

go up (third-person singular simple present goes up, present participle going up, simple past went up, past participle gone up)

goes up (present singular third-person)
going up (participle present)
went up (past)
gone up (participle past)

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time out

time out (third-person singular simple present times out, present participle timing out, simple past and past participle timed out)

times out (present singular third-person)
timing out (participle present)
timed out (participle past)
timed out (past)

(transitive, cricket) To declare (the batsman) out for having taken longer than two minutes to appear on the field.


descender

(cycling) A cyclist who excels at fast descents.

(climbing) A belay device used in rock climbing, or as a fire escape.


headset

(cycling) On a bicycle, the system of bearings that connects the fork to the frame.

balhoofd

on a bicycle, the system of bearings that connects the fork to the frame


pay-off

The bases are loaded, so he'd better make the pay-off count.


on the back foot

(cricket, of a batsman) Having the weight on the back foot in order to play a defensive stroke


normal time

Aaron Ramsey, a hero last season against Hull, missed a sitter at the end of normal time that would have made the game safe and must have been relieved that his shot against a post from four yards out did not cost his side more dearly.

2015 April 18, Paul Wilson, The Guardian:

Italy's eventual win was worthy of an audience filling Wembley twice over, the joy of Mancini and his players a brutal contrast to the despair of much-derided Spain striker Alvaro Morata, who had actually rescued them with an equaliser in normal time after Federico Chiesa's superb opener for Italy.

2021 July 6, Phil McNulty, “Italy beat Spain on penalties: 'Pure theatre as Italy present formidable obstacle in final'”, in BBC Sport:

(sports) The standard period of play, contrasted with any additional periods such as injury time, extra time or penalty shootout.


spiral pass

from the helical spiral that a point at the circumference of the spinning ball traces as it moves forward

(sports) A long pass in American football or rugby in which the ball is given a brisk spin (about its longitudinal axis) as it is thrown so that it travels in a smooth arc without tumbling or wobbling.


coordinator

coordinators (plural)
coördinator (alternative)
co-ordinator (alternative)

→ Japanese: コーディネーター (kōdinētā)

en:assistant coach or similar role in sports

(sports, chiefly American football) An assistant coach responsible for a particular facet of the game, such as defense.


Wimbledon

From an Old English name (probably Wynnmann, or alternatively Wynebeald) + dūn (“hill”).

Norman Brookes was the first Australian to win the men's singles at Wimbledon in 1907 - making him the first male outside Britain to win the Championships and the first of 12 Australian men to take the title.

2005, Jane Egginton, Working and Living Australia, page 81:

In the 1991 Wimbledon semifinal between Michael Stich and Stefan Edberg, there was just one service break in the entire match, and the guy whose serve was broken, Stich, ended up winning the match!

2008, Pete Sampras, Peter Bodo, Pete Sampras: A Champion's Mind, published 2010, unnumbered page:

An incredible 28 thousand kilograms of strawberries are eaten at Wimbledon every year...

2013, Jack Goldstein, Frankie Taylor, 101 Amazing Facts about Wimbledon, unnumbered page:

(tennis) The Wimbledon Championships, a prestigious tennis tournament.


aerialist

/ˈɛəɹɪəlɪst/

Abramenko, a top aerialist in freestyle skiing, a five-time Olympian and the country’s flag-bearer for the opening ceremony, garnered more attention after the event, when a photograph of his hug with a Russian rival was widely circulated.

2022 March 4, John Branch, “He Won an Olympic Silver for Ukraine. Now He’s Hiding in a Kyiv Garage.”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-03-05:

(skiing) A specialist in aerials, a freestyle skiing discipline.


short stop

(baseball) Alternative spelling of shortstop


on deck

Jones is the on-deck batter.

(baseball) Being the batter who will be up next, typically when that player is waiting on the field.


on deck circle

Jones warms up in the on deck circle.

(baseball) The circle drawn or painted on the field where the next batter to hit waits.


hit parade

That’s going to do it for Smith as Jones joins the hit parade off him.

(baseball) Many hits in a row scored by one team.


backside throw

Good backside throw leads to good hip speed which leads to good bat speed.

(baseball) The rotation of the knee and lower body of the side of the batter away from the pitcher during a swing.


hip speed

en-noun

hip speed (countable and uncountable, plural hip speeds)

Good hip speed leads to good bat speed.

(baseball) The speed of rotation of the hips of a batter during a swing.


bat speed

Good hip speed leads to good bat speed.

(baseball) The speed of the bat during a swing.


golden sombrero

golden sombrero (plural golden sombreros)

Jones got a golden sombrero last night; he had a hat trick (three strikeouts) going into the ninth inning, then struck out for the fourth time.

(baseball) A humorous verbal "award" given to a batter who has struck out four times in a single game.


platinum sombrero

platinum sombrero (plural platinum sombreros)

Mike had to witness his dad achieve a platinum sombrero last night.

(baseball) A humorous verbal "award" given to a batter who has struck out five times in a single game.


fresh legs

The tired France were unable to break down the German defence, so they brought on some fresh legs.

Arsenal had the ideal fresh legs for extra time in Theo Walcott, and though he was sent on after 10 minutes he was uninvolved in the winning goal.

18 April 2015, Paul Wilson, “Alexis Sánchez sends Arsenal into final after gallant Reading go the distance”, in The Guardian:

But they survived some real pressure as David Murphy flashed a header inches wide of Rob Green's right-hand post and then struck the killer blow on the night - and, they hope, the tie - after introducing the fresh legs of Cole and Zavon Hines.

2011 January 11, Jonathan Stevenson, “West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham”, in BBC:

(sports, idiomatic) A substitute who has yet to play in the match, and therefore has more energy than those already on the field.


double fault

While reaching last year's US Open final showed he possesses an all-round game, Anderson's biggest weapon remains his serve - which he lost in the opening game against Djokovic with a double fault on break point.

2018 July 15, Jonathan Jurejko, “Novak Djokovic wins fourth Wimbledon by beating Kevin Anderson”, in BBC Sport:

(tennis) The missing of both the first serve and second serve, resulting in a point for the receiver.


break point

(tennis) A situation in which if the receiver wins the next point, (s)he will win the game (but not the set or match).


foot fault

In tennis, a foot fault results when server's foot is placed outside the service area prior to the ball being hit.

In pickleball, a foot fault occurs when a player volleys a ball while in the kitchen, or non-volley zone.

(sports) In certain sports, as in tennis or long jump, a fault in which the athlete's foot is in the wrong place at the wrong time.


match point

He made it to match point three times and still lost, but you can't come much closer than that.

(sports, tennis) A state in a game where a player can win the entire match by winning the next point. Often used in tennis.


set point

(tennis, volleyball) A situation where if one of the two players wins the next point, (s)he will win the set (but not the match).


WTA

Women's Tennis Association
w:Women's Tennis Association

(tennis) Initialism of Women's Tennis Association.

Men's Association of Tennis Professionals


faceplant

faceplants (plural)
face-plant (alternative)

From face + plant (“place, set firmly”). Originally skateboarding and snowboarding slang, a humorous variant of handplant, which is an intentional technique in these sports.

(wrestling) A wrestling move in which an attacking wrestler forces an opponent down to the mat face-first without a headlock or facelock.


double play depth

The infield is at double play depth with one out and a man at first.

(baseball) A shift in the defensive alignment of the infielders towards home plate when there is a baserunner on first base, to increase the possibility of getting a double play.


four fingers

Four fingers are up for Jones because the weak-hitting Smith will follow.

(baseball) The sign made by the manager directing the pitcher to issue an intentional walk.


keystone corner

keystone corner (plural keystone corners)

Jones takes the toss at the keystone corner, on to first... double play.

(baseball) Second base, because it is often the key to scoring and defense.


tools of ignorance

Jones straps on the tools of ignorance.


worm burner

From the humorous notion that any worms on the ground might be burned by the rapid passage of the ball.

Jones smashes a worm burner to mid on.

Jones smashes a worm burner between third and short.

(baseball, cricket) A hard-hit ground ball.


prospect

From Latin prospectus, past participle of prospicere (“to look forward”), from pro (“before, forward”) + specere, spicere (“to look, to see”), equivalent to pro- + -spect. Doublet of prospectus.

(sports) Any player whose rights are owned by a top-level professional team, but who has yet to play a game for said team.

varaus

sports: player whose rights are owned by a top-level professional team, but who has yet to play a game for said team


rental

rental (countable and uncountable, plural rentals)

→ Japanese: レンタル (rentaru)

[When the trade deadline approaches], Everyone wants to talk about which preening millionaire is going to be shipped out of town because he can't get along with his GM, or what veteran is going to finally get a shot at a Cup, or which guy is going to a contender as a "rental." Sure, it's gossip. Is that so wrong?

2012, Sean Pronger, Journeyman: The Many Triumphs (and Even More Defeats) Of A Guy Who's Seen Just About Everything in the Game of Hockey:

(sports) A player traded to a team with a year or less on his contract


wild card

wild cards (plural)
wildcard (alternative)
wild-card (alternative)

Kye Sun-Hui won an Olympic gold medal in Judo, despite being a wild card.

(sports) A competitor or team that is allowed to compete in a tournament despite not reaching the normal standards to qualify for inclusion.


bare hand

en-verb

bare hand (third-person singular simple present bare hands, present participle bare handing, simple past and past participle bare handed)

bare hands (present singular third-person)
bare handing (participle present)
bare handed (participle past)
bare handed (past)

Jones bare hands the bunt and throws to first... out!

(transitive, baseball) To field the ball without one's glove in one's hand.


Azzurri

(soccer) the Italy national football team


shootout

shootouts (plural)
shoot-out (alternative)

(ice hockey) A series of penalty shots during which a tied game is resolved.

(sports) A match in which both teams score highly.


the sticks

Possibly derived from 1800s Chinook Jargon stick (“tree, forest”), from English stick.

They gained just enough on that play to move the sticks and continue the drive.

(American football) The set of yardage markers used by a chain crew to indicate the ten yards between the line of scrimmage from the previous first down and the line to gain, which the offense must reach in their series of four downs in order to retain possession of the ball.


catenaccio

Borrowed from Italian catenaccio, literally "bolt (for a door)".

(soccer) A system of defensive play focused on nullifying opponents' attacks and preventing goal-scoring opportunities, typically using a libero.


Chelsea

From Old English Celchyth, from cealc (“chalk”) + hȳþ (“landing place”).

association football
association football

(soccer) Chelsea FC, an English association football club.


duster

desc

→ Cebuano: daster (“type of loose dress worn at home”)

→ Indonesian: daster (“type of loose dress worn at home”)

→ Tagalog: daster (“type of loose dress worn at home”)

(baseball) A high pitch toward the batter.


Pilgrim

(soccer) Someone connected with Plymouth Argyle Football Club, as a fan, player, coach etc.


Cincinnati

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Named after the Society of the Cincinnati, which is named after Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus; see Latin Cincinnāti and Cincinnātus.

(bowling) A 7–9 or 8–10 split (result of a first throw).


klister

en-noun

klister (countable and uncountable, plural klisters)

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(skiing) A soft wax used for grip on skis, especially for corn snow or crust.


edging

edging (countable and uncountable, plural edgings)

(climbing) A technique involving the placement of the edge of the climbing shoe on a sharp hold.


shoulder surfing

shoulder surfing (computer security)
shoulder surfing (surfing)

(surfing) a technique in surfing requiring less skill, riding the wave lower down than its critical point


dropper

(cricket, historical) A delivery by lob bowling (no longer legal).

(cricket, historical) A bowler who makes such deliveries.


hoik

hoik (countable and uncountable, plural hoiks)

Possibly originally a form of hike (itself of unclear etymology).

(cricket, countable) A wild hook shot played without style.


hoik

en-verb

hoik (third-person singular simple present hoiks, present participle hoiking, simple past and past participle hoiked)

hoiks (present singular third-person)
hoiking (participle present)
hoiked (participle past)
hoiked (past)
hoick (alternative)


dry fire

dry fire (third-person singular simple present dry fires, present participle dry firing, simple past and past participle dry fired)

dry fires (present singular third-person)
dry firing (participle present)
dry fired (participle past)
dry fired (past)
dryfire (alternative)
dry-fire (alternative)

(archery) To draw and release a bow without an arrow loaded.


Soca Warriors

(soccer) The Trinidad and Tobago national football team.


ball boy

ball boys (plural)
ballboy (alternative)

(sports) A person, usually male, responsible for retrieving balls from the area of play, and returning them to the players.

aplegapilotes

A male person responsible for retrieving balls


ball girl

(sports) A female responsible for getting the balls from off the area of play to the players.


whoop-de-doo

When Shoemaker wins or loses by a nose, it is an odds-on bet that a whoop-de-doo rider would have lost by lengths, having wasted the horse prematurely.

1988, Tom Ainslie, Ainslie's Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing, →ISBN, page 203:

(horse racing) A style of racing in which the jockey establishes an early lead and then runs as fast as possible.


footballer

/ˈfʊtbɔːləɹ/

It is footballers though, rather than commentators, presenters or pundits, who when interviewed have provided some of the best Colemanballs.

2004, George Best, Scoring At Half-Time: Adventures On and Off the Pitch, →ISBN, page 259:

(soccer, UK) One who plays association football.


screening

en-noun

screening (countable and uncountable, plural screenings)

→ German: Screening

→ Spanish: screening

due diligence

performing the work needed to uncover latent problems

(volleyball) Action done by the serving team to prevent the opposing team from seeing the server and the flight path of the ball.


daylight robbery

daylight robbery (countable and uncountable, plural daylight robberies)

From daylight + robbery, originally used literally to refer to robbery occurring in the daytime rather than at night, which was thought to be more audacious or risky.

(chiefly sports, uncountable) Conduct which unfairly deprives an opponent of an advantage or a win; (countable, rare) an instance of this.


double eagle

(golf) Three under par, one stroke short of an ace (a hole in one) on a par-five hole.

iolar dúbailte

golf: three under par, one stroke short of an ace


cribbing

cribbing (countable and uncountable, plural cribbings)

obsessive-compulsive disorder
obsessive-compulsive disorder

(ethology, equestrianism) A self-injurious tendency of certain horses to swallow air while slobbering and biting onto objects in and about their enclosure; cribbing and windsucking are regarded as equine forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.


nub

en-verb

nub (third-person singular simple present nubs, present participle nubbing, simple past and past participle nubbed)

nubs (present singular third-person)
nubbing (participle present)
nubbed (participle past)
nubbed (past)

Either directly from Middle Low German, or from knub, from a Middle Low German word (compare Low German Knubbel, Knobbel (“knot; lump”)). Compare knob.


varsity

en-noun

varsity (countable and uncountable, plural varsities)

First attested in the mid 17th century. Clipping of univarsity, reflecting an archaic pronunciation of university.

There were sixteen of them in all, for the most part upper classmen who had failed to make the varsity the year before, with a sprinkling of sophomores and two freshmen.

1903, Ralph Henry Barbour, C. M. Relyea, Weatherby's Inning: A Story of College Life and Baseball, New York: D. Appleton and Company:

A small Pennsylvania university has only one varsity program: e-sports. Is this the future of college athletics?

2019 November 13, Luke Winkie, “Why Colleges Are Betting Big on Video Games”, in The Atlantic:

(sports, US) The principal sports team representing an institution (usually a high school, college, or university.)


MOTD

55 years in, save for the odd hiatus when ITV rather rudely claimed the exclusive top-flight highlights rights, MOTD represents the then, now and seemingly forever for the free-to-air armchair football fan.

2019 July 26, Adam Hurrey, “55 years in, the culturally bulletproof Match of the Day can handle the latest threat from its rivals”, in The Daily Telegraph:

(sports, television) Initialism of Match of the Day: a British football-themed television programme introduced in 1964.


roughshod

The horses fell down three times, the roads being slippery, and we walked three miles to Linlithgow. There we waited two hours, to have the fresh horses roughshod.

1814 November 10, Miss Berry [Mary Berry], edited by Lady [Maria] Theresa Lewis, Extracts of the Journals and Correspondence of Miss Berry from the year 1783 to 1852. … In Three Volumes, volume III, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1865, →OCLC, page 36:

Those who have followed a French army well know that their horses are always rough-shod. [...] Horses can bear cold when properly fed, and if they had not been rough-shod there were farriers attached to the army.

1875, C. Joyneville [pseudonym; Catherine Laura Johnstone], “The French Retreat and the Russian Pursuit”, in Life and Times of Alexander I. Emperor of All the Russias. … In Three Volumes, volume II, London: Tinsley Brothers, 8, Catherine Street, Strand, →OCLC, page 227:

A horse is roughshod when the nails are left protruding out of its shoes so that the animal does not slip and fall. Consequently, being ridden over by a roughshod horse would be quite agonizing.

1996, Sandra L. Olsen, “Introduction”, in Sandra L. Olsen, editor, Horses through Time, Boulder, Colo.: Roberts Rinehart Publishers for Carnegie Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 8:

(farriery) Of a horse: having hooves shod with horseshoes that have calks or projecting parts to prevent slipping.


snapper

snappers (plural)
schnapper (alternative)

(American football) The player who snaps the ball to start the play.


hockey stick

(Canada, US, ice hockey) A stick used to handle the puck in ice hockey, having a flat, angled blade at the end.


plunk

en-verb

plunk (third-person singular simple present plunks, present participle plunking, simple past and past participle plunked)

plunks (present singular third-person)
plunking (participle present)
plunked (participle past)
plunked (past)

The Braves retaliated by plunking Harper in the next inning.

(transitive, baseball) To intentionally hit the batter with a pitch.


changement

(fencing) A change in the tempo or rhythm of one's actions, to mislead the opponent.


cush

(colloquial, sports, billiards, snooker, pool) The cushion, the soft lip around the edge of the table that allows the balls to bounce cleanly.


jump shot

(basketball) A shot in which the player releases the ball at the highest point of a jump.


come on

come on (third-person singular simple present comes on, present participle coming on, simple past came on, past participle come on)

comes on (present singular third-person)
coming on (participle present)
came on (past)
come on (participle past)

Blackburn made their third and final substitution with 25 minutes remaining, with Brett Emerton coming on for Dunn as they looked for ways to stem the Newcastle tide.

2011 February 12, Nabil Hassan, “Blackburn 0-0 Newcastle”, in BBC:

One of few positives from a Burnley perspective was a first appearance of the season for forward Michael Obafemi, who came on with five minutes remaining after recovering from a long-term hamstring injury

2023 November 11, Matthew Howarth, “Arsenal 3-1 Burnley”, in BBC Sport:

(sports, of a substitute) To enter the playing field.


outrigger

outriggers (plural)
out-rigger (alternative)

Modification of earlier outligger after rig (“to fit out”); equivalent to out- + ligger.

(skiing) A type of ski pole, with skis attached at the bottom, instead of the spike/pick found on a normal pole. It is used in downhill skiing variants of para-skiing, especially those that use a sit-ski, such as the monoski.


narced

en-adj

narced (comparative more narced, superlative most narced)

more narced (comparative)
most narced (superlative)

On his first dive, Ralph got really narced, and thought he was turning into a sea turtle.

While doing a test in a chamber to assess the pressure at which one will get narced seems like a great idea, it is not necessarily an indicator of who will get narced at what depth.

1996, Karen Burge, “(was: will you get narced?) maybe...maybe not”, in rec.scuba (Usenet):

There has been only one time that I felt narced and strangley it was in 127 of water.

1998, Ray Jones, “Narcosis”, in bit.listserv.scuba-l (Usenet):

2003:, uglymoney, Narcosis at 110? in rec.scuba
All went well. However I am absolutely convinced that I was narced.

(underwater diving) Exhibiting impaired judgment while scuba diving due to nitrogen narcosis.


air out

en-verb

air out (third-person singular simple present airs out, present participle airing out, simple past and past participle aired out)

airs out (present singular third-person)
airing out (participle present)
aired out (participle past)
aired out (past)

(American football, slang) To throw passes, especially long and high passes.


rover

From Middle English roven (“to wander, to shoot an arrow randomly”) + -er.

inh

"By my hilt! no. There was little Robby Withstaff, and Andrew Salblaster, and Wat Alspaye, who broke the neck of the German. Mon Dieu! what men they were! Take them how you would, at long butts or short, hoyles, rounds, or rovers, better bowmen never twirled a shaft over their thumb-nails.

1890, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 22, in The White Company:

(archery, usually in the plural) A randomly selected target.

I went to Coach Beamer and, because we had a lot of outside linebackers, ask him if I could play rover.

2011, Frank Beamer, Always a Hokie: Players, Coaches, and Fans Share Their Passion for Virginia Tech Football:

(American football) A defensive back position whose coverage responsibilities are a hybrid of those of a cornerback, safety and linebacker.

(baseball) The tenth defensive player in slow-pitch softball.


quadrille

French, in sense of “group of knights”, from Spanish cuadrilla, diminutive of cuadra (“square”) (compare also cuadra (“four”)), from Latin quadra.

The movements of the other women were more or less similar to Tess's, the whole bevy of them drawing together like dancers in a quadrille at the completion of a sheaf by each, every one placing her sheaf on end against those of the rest, till a shock, or 'stitch' as it was here called, of ten or a dozen was formed.

1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume II, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC:

(dance) A dance originating in the mid-1700s with four couples forming a square, rather much like the modern square dance.


omnium

From Latin omnium (literally “of all”), genitive plural of omnis (“all, every”).

(cycling) A multiple race event in track cycling. Historically the omnium has had a variety of formats. Currently it consists of the following six events: flying lap, points race, elimination, individual pursuit, scratch race, and time trial.


cornice

From Middle French corniche or Italian cornice, from Latin cornīx (“crow”).

Looking to the east we could see Api and the mountains of west Nepal, shapely snow peaks in the distance, while in the immediate foreground, much lower but still dramatic, were the peaks of Panch Chuli IV and V (III was hidden by the lip of a huge cornice), Telkot and Nagling, all of them unclimbed, all steep and challenging.

1999, Harish Kapadia, “Ascents in the Panch Chuli Group”, in Across Peaks & Passes in Kumaun Himalaya, New Delhi: Indus Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 136:

(geography, mountaineering) An overhanging edge of snow on a ridge or the crest of a mountain and along the sides of gullies.


kayfabe

Unknown, but attributed to US carnival slang (carny), usually as a purposefully obscure variant of the admonition “be fake” formed through backslang or mangled pig Latin. Also sometimes attributed to an alteration of cave (Latin for “beware”), keep cavey (“stay alert”), or an eponymous figure named Kay Fabe or Kay Fabian.

Kay Fabe (alternative)
kay fabe (alternative)
kay-fabe (alternative)
kafabe (alternative)

"Jack, Gordon and I were talking about how we heard Ric Flair do an interview where he said there was no such thing as kay-fabe any more," said Blair, referring to the fact most wrestler secrets were exposed in the 1990s.

2001 April 27, Alex Marvez, "Grappling for the Right Words?", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, p. 44

Suddenly, I heard a shout behind me: "Kayfabe! Kayfabe!" It was Gagne, freaking out and twitching and gesturing. He was afraid that some of the marks would see us in such close proximity and wonder why I wasn't choking out Wahoo with the velvet rope leading to the reservation counter, or carving him up with the ticket agent's pen. The thing was that, with the exception of the AWA guys, the terminal was empty.

2006, Eldridge Wayne Coleman & al., Tangled Ropes, p. 143

I've been breaking kayfabe a lot lately and it's bad, completely unprofessional.

2013, Saul Lemerond, "Cowboys in Rainbow City", Kayfabe & Other Stories, p. 45

(professional wrestling) The act, situation, or code of portraying staged events, performances, rivalries, etc as authentic or spontaneous.


kayfabe

My wife... currently serves as a Florida State Senator... My kayfabe wife has enormous fake breasts, bleach blonde hair, and a nose that is too small for her face.

2013, Saul Lemerond, "Cowboys in Rainbow City", Kayfabe & Other Stories, pp. 43–4

(professional wrestling) Of or related to kayfabe, especially forbidden to mention or show in order to maintain kayfabe.


kayfabe

en-verb

kayfabe (third-person singular simple present kayfabes, present participle kayfabing, simple past and past participle kayfabed)

kayfabes (present singular third-person)
kayfabing (participle present)
kayfabed (participle past)
kayfabed (past)
Kay Fabe (alternative)
kay fabe (alternative)
kay-fabe (alternative)
kafabe (alternative)

...Mascaras was never one of the boys. Here's an example: after his matches, he'd shower with his mask on. I understand protecting your image, but the guy was kayfabing us.

2006, Eldridge Wayne Coleman & al., Tangles Ropes, p. 97

He joked around with me and had me laughing so hard that it was tough not to feel silly about being "kayfabed.

2013, Julie Hart, Hart Strings, →ISBN, page 54:

(professional wrestling) To maintain kayfabe, to deceive by staying in character.


rock up

rock up (third-person singular simple present rocks up, present participle rocking up, simple past and past participle rocked up)

rocks up (present singular third-person)
rocking up (participle present)
rocked up (participle past)
rocked up (past)

(climbing) To work one's way vertically up a chimney or cleft using a rocking movement.


goalless

Stevenage and Sheffield United played out a goalless draw in their League One play-off semi-final first leg.

2012 May 11, Chris Osborne, “Stevenage 0-0 Sheff Utd”, in BBC Sport:

(sports) Without goals; in which no goals have been scored; having scored no goals.


green top

en-noun

green top (countable and uncountable, plural green tops)

(cricket, countable) A pitch with abundant visible grass.


downshift

The noun is derived from down (preposition) + shift (“slight change or movement”). The verb is derived from the noun.

compound

The driver, Lindsay, gave me a regal wave at the top after he had completed a series of perfect downshifts[.]

2000, Bob Foster, Birdum or Bust!, Henley Beach, SA: Seaview Press, page 197:

(automotive, cycling) A shift of a transmission into a lower gear, as dictated by heavier load on the engine, as for example when climbing a hill or strongly accelerating.


downshift

en-verb

downshift (third-person singular simple present downshifts, present participle downshifting, simple past and past participle downshifted)

downshifts (present singular third-person)
downshifting (participle present)
downshifted (participle past)
downshifted (past)

zwalniać

to change one’s career or lifestyle to one which is not as well paid but less stressful and more personally rewarding

落波

to shift the transmission of a car or bicycle into a lower gear

He brought the car to a stop before the bridge, downshifted and then put her at the road again in a rising disciplined snarl along the N.6 to Cannes.

a. 1962, Ernest Hemingway, chapter 27, in The Garden of Eden, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, published 1986, →ISBN, page 229:

(automotive, cycling) To shift (a car or bicycle) into a lower gear.

In a stick-shift vehicle, the driver must downshift when necessary; in an automatic, the transmission downshifts as needed.

(automotive, cycling) To shift a transmission into a lower gear.


teamsheet

teamsheets (plural)
team sheet (alternative)

(sports) A document that lists the current or proposed members of a team.


weights

(weightlifting) Any collection of weighted objects, such as dumbbells or barbells, used for exercise and training the muscles.


back pass

back passes (plural)
backpass (alternative)

(soccer) An intentional pass to the goalkeeper by a teammate.


goalpost

/ˈɡəʊlpəʊst/

Some kids were having a kickabout on the grass beside the walkway, cheering, groaning, calling for the ball, absorbed in the game, a self-contained universe marked out by jackets for goalposts and invisible touchlines.

2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 107:

(sports) One of the two vertical side poles of a goal.

(sports, American football) The tall Y-shaped upright, now usually of fiberglass, at either end of the playing field, through which a football must go in order for a field goal to be scored. (They were originally H-shaped, with one wooden post on either side.)