spindle

spindles (plural)
spindel (alternative)
spinnel (alternative)

From Middle English spyndel, spindle, spyndylle, from Old English spindle, spindel, alteration of earlier spinel, spinil, spinl (“spindle”), from Proto-West Germanic *spinnilu (“spindle”), equivalent to spin + -le. Cognate with Scots spindil, spinnell (“spindle”), Dutch spindel ("spindle"; < Middle Dutch spille, spinle), German Spindel (“spindle”), Danish spindel (“spindle”), Swedish spindel (“spindle”).

gloss

Anna Pavlovna’s soirée was now in full swing. On all sides the spindles were humming away non-stop.

2005 [1868–9], Anthony Briggs, transl., War and Peace, Penguin Classics, translation of Война́ и миръ by Leo Tolstoy, Volume I, Part 1, Chapter 3, page 13:

(spinning) A rod used for spinning and then winding fibres (especially wool), usually consisting of a shaft and a circular whorl positioned at either the upper or lower end of the shaft when suspended vertically from the forming thread.


gobble

From Middle English gobben (“to drink or swallow greedily”), of uncertain origin + -le (frequentative suffix). Middle English gobben is perhaps an alteration of Middle English globben (“to gulp down”), related to English gulpen (“to gulp”). However, compare also French gober.

der

(golf) A rapid straight putt so strongly played that, if the ball had not gone into the hole, it would have gone a long way past.


good length

(cricket) The area on a pitch considered to be the best place to pitch the ball in order to either get the batter out, or restrict them from scoring; the length at which the ball bounces just too far away for it to be comfortably played either on the front foot or the back foot.


grubber

England had an early opportunity with a line-out deep in French territory after a clever grubber from Foden only for Lionel Nallet to burgle back possession, and they then tore into France again as Alexis Palisson was smashed backwards after taking a garryowen and Manu Tuilagi thundered into Morgan Parra.

2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France:

Take that brilliant backline move off a scrum when Kolbe came off his left wing to put in a neat grubber for Arendse on the right wing to almost round the defense in the corner.

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

(rugby) An attacking short-distance kick in behind the defence in which the ball is bounced along the ground, using the uneven bounce of the ball to make it difficult for the defence to retrieve.

(cricket) A ball that bounces unusually low such that it is difficult for the batsman to hit properly.


gully

→ French: gollé

→ German: Gully

Origin uncertain. Possibly from a variant of Middle English golet (“esophagus, gullet”), from Old French goulet, from Latin gula (“throat”). Shift in meaning in Middle English to "water channel, ravine" may have been influenced by Middle English gylle, gille, galle (“deep narrow valley, ravine”); see gill.
Alternatively, from a diminutive of dialectal gull (“fissue, chasm”) + -y (diminutive suffix). See gull, gullick.

unc

uncertain

inh

(cricket) A fielding position on the off side about 30 degrees behind square, between the slips and point; a fielder in such a position


Hawk-Eye

From hawk + eye, a reference to the bird of prey's noted eyesight.

(cricket, tennis) A system, using six static television cameras and sophisticated computing, to track the path of the ball in flight.


narc

en-verb

narc (third-person singular simple present narcs, present participle narcing, simple past and past participle narced)

narcs (present singular third-person)
narcing (participle present)
narced (participle past)
narced (past)

(underwater diving, slang) To suffer from impaired judgment due to nitrogen narcosis (for example, while scuba diving).


conversion

en-noun

conversion (countable and uncountable, plural conversions)

From Middle English conversion, conversioun, borrowed from Anglo-Norman conversion, from Latin conversiō, from convertō.

обръщане

the act of having converted something or someone

המרת דת

to replace one religious faith with another

(rugby) A free kick, after scoring a try, worth two points.

(American football) An extra point (or two) scored by kicking a field goal or carrying the ball into the end zone after scoring a touchdown.


skip

Late Middle English skipper, borrowed from Middle Dutch and Middle Low German schipper (“captain”), earlier "seaman", from schip (“ship”).

(curling) The player who calls the shots and traditionally throws the last two rocks.


tanker

I swung the tanker around just in time to take off with the lip.


gill

From Middle English gille, gylle (“gill”), of North Germanic origin, akin to Danish gælle, Swedish gäl, Norwegian gjelle, and further to Old Norse gjǫlnar (“lips”), which also may have had the meaning of "gills" (based on Old Danish fiskegæln (“gills”)). The Old Norse word has been suggested as deriving from Proto-Germanic *gelunō (“jaw”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel-, which would make it root-cognate to Ancient Greek χελύνη (khelúnē, “lip, jaw”), χεῖλος (kheîlos, “lip”).
Displaced native Old English ċīe.

cog

(spinning) One of the combs of closely ranged steel pins which divide the ribbons of flax fiber or wool into fewer parallel filaments.


Maltese cross

(gymnastics) A position on the rings where the gymnast's body is horizontal and straight, with arms to the side; a horizontal planche.


Bunsen

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

(cricket, informal, rhyming slang) A turner (a pitch on which the ball turns easily).


retrieve

en-verb

retrieve (third-person singular simple present retrieves, present participle retrieving, simple past and past participle retrieved)

retrieves (present singular third-person)
retrieving (participle present)
retrieved (participle past)
retrieved (past)

Recorded in Middle English c. 1410 as retreve (altered to retrive in the 16th century; modern form is from c. 1650), from Middle French retruev-, stem of Old French retrover (“to find again”, modern retrouver), itself from re- (“again”) + trover (“to find”), probably from Vulgar Latin *tropāre (“to compose”).

der

modern <i class="Latn mention" lang="fr">retrouver</i>

(sports, transitive) To make a difficult but successful return of the ball.


quarterfinal

quarterfinals (plural)
quarter final (alternative)
quarter-final (alternative)

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

(sports) One of the four competitions in a knockout tournament whose winners go on to play in the two semifinals.

çerekfinale

competition in a tournament whose winners go on to play in the two semifinals


edition

From French édition, from Latin ēditiō, from ēdere (“to publish”).

The 2014 edition of the Tour de France started in Leeds, Yorkshire.

(sports) A particular instance of an event.


grand slam

SWR has more than its fair share of major national events. As well as the [Queen's] funeral and the coronation in the past 12 months, annual events include racing at Ascot, grand slam tennis at Wimbledon, and rugby internationals at Twickenham.

2023 July 26, Paul Clifton, “A (safe and secure) Day at the Races...”, in RAIL, number 988, page 35:

(sports) The winning of all available, major or specified events in a given year or sports season.

大滿貫 /大满贯

(sports) the winning of all the major or specified events

(baseball) The hitting of a home run with the bases loaded.

gran eslam

(baseball) a home run with the bases loaded

(motor racing) The situation in which a racer starts from pole position, then wins first place while leading during the entire race, while also recording the fastest lap of the race.


Grand Slam

(British, soccer) winning in each of the three UEFA cups - UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and Cup Winners' Cup (defunct).

(tennis) The four biggest competitions of the year: Wimbledon, the French Open, Australian Open and the US Open

(rugby) Victory in every game in the Six Nations competition between England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy

(rugby) Victory by a Southern Hemisphere national team over all of the Home Nations—England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland—in a single tour

(golf) The four (or five) biggest competitions of the year; see Grand Slam (golf) on Wikipedia.

(Philippines, basketball) winning in each of the three Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) tournaments, each called locally a conference, in a season; see Grand Slam (PBA) on Wikipedia.


vantage

en-noun

vantage (countable and uncountable, plural vantages)

vantages (plural)
vauntage (alternative)

/ˈvɑːntɪd͡ʒ/

From Middle English vantage, by apheresis from advantage; see advantage.

(dated, tennis) Alternative form of advantage (score after deuce)


half volley

half volleys (plural)
half-volley (alternative)

(sports) A stroke, in ball sports, in which the ball is hit immediately after it bounces off the ground

(cricket) A delivery that bounces just short of the blockhole


volley

→ Cantonese: 窩利 /窝利 (wo¹ lei⁶⁻²)

→ German: Volley

→ Polish: wolej

→ Portuguese: vólei

From Middle French volée (“flight”), from Vulgar Latin volta, from Late Latin volatus.

(sports) The flight of a ball just before it bounces.

But there was nothing he could do about Villa's second when Agbonlahor crossed from the left and Bent finished with a precision volley.

2011 October 1, John Sinnott, “Aston Villa 2–0 Wigan”, in BBC Sport:

(sports) A shot in which the ball is played before it hits the ground.

воле́

(cricket) A sending of the ball full to the top of the wicket.


volley

en-verb

volley (third-person singular simple present volleys, present participle volleying, simple past and past participle volleyed)

volleys (present singular third-person)
volleying (participle present)
volleyed (participle past)
volleyed (past)

Boudewijn Zenden hit the post from 25 yards for the home side before Jody Craddock volleyed Wolves ahead from 10 yards against his former club.

2011 May 14, Peter Scrivener, “Sunderland 1–3 Wolverhampton”, in BBC Sport:

(sports, transitive) To hit the ball before it touches the ground

lyödä lentolyönti

to hit the ball before it touches the ground

lyödä ilmasta

in tennis and other racquet and club games


handled the ball

(cricket) Describing a way of getting out in which the batsman deliberately touches the ball with the hand not holding the bat.


hat trick

hat tricks (plural)
hattrick (alternative)
hat-trick (alternative)

From hat + trick (“element of a magician’s or variety entertainer’s act; entertaining and difficult physical action”, noun). Sense 2 (“achievement of a bowler taking three wickets in three consecutive balls”)—the original sporting sense—refers to the commemorative hat formerly given as a prize to the bowler by his club.

هاتريك

three achievements in a single game, competition, season, etc.

שלושער m (shloshá'ar, literally “three-gate or goal”)

གསུམ་སྦྲགས (gsum sbrags, literally “pack-of-three”)

Jones got a hat trick yesterday. Let’s see if he can do better today.

(cricket) An achievement of a bowler taking three wickets in three consecutive balls.

(by extension, sports) Three achievements in a single game, competition, season, etc., such as three consecutive wins.

(specifically, baseball, ironic) The act of striking out three times in a game.

In ice hockey, it’s customary for fans to throw their hats on to the rink after a player scores a hat trick.

(specifically, ice hockey, soccer) Three goals scored by one player in a game.

(specifically, rugby) Three tries scored by one player in a game.

Ever heard of a Gordie Howe hat trick? It comprises a goal, an assist, and a fighting major penalty.

The car salesman came home with front-row seats to the weekend game after achieving a hat trick by selling three cars that day.

And with the debut of his new series Hyperion Bay in 1998, [Joseph] Dougherty accomplished the rare "hat trick" in television: the pilot was written, executive-produced, and codirected by Dougherty.

2002, Douglas Heil, “From Office Temp to ‘Hat Trick’ Showrunner: Interview with Joseph Dougherty”, in Prime Time Authorship: Works about and by Three TV Dramatists (The Television Series), Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, →ISBN, page 129:

Three murders in less than two weeks. That's a hat trick.

2015, Les Roberts, “Milan”, in The Ashtabula Hat Trick (A Milan Jacovich/Kevin O’Bannion Mystery), Cleveland, Oh.: Gray & Company, →ISBN, page 51:

In these modern cities, anti-infection measures had to be imposed from the top down, by a central authority. To pull this off, the authority required three things: the ability to identify cases in a timely fashion, and so determine the infection's direction of travel; an understanding of how the disease spread (by water? air? insect vector?), and hence the measures that were likely to block it; and some means of ensuring compliance with those measures. When all three of these ingredients – which we'll describe in more detail in the following sections – were in place, containment could be extremely effective, but a hat-trick was rare.

2017 May, Laura Spinney, “Chalking Doors with Crosses”, in Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: PublicAffairs, published September 2017, →ISBN, part 4 (The Survival Instinct), page 91:

(by extension, generally) Three achievements or incidents that occur together, usually within a certain period of time.

hattutemppu

three achievements or incidents that occur together, usually within a certain period of time


Viking

Borrowed from Old Norse víkingr (“Viking”). Already in Old English as wīċing and Old Frisian wītsing, but assumed extinct in Middle English and borrowed anew in the 19th century; any survivals in dialect through the Middle Ages are unknown.
Old Norse víkingr itself is from Old Norse vík (“inlet, cove, fjord”) + -ingr (“one belonging to, one who frequents”) (the -r is the nominative desinence). Thus, “one from or who frequents the sea’s inlets”.
The Old English and Anglo-Frisian form, existing since at least the eighth century, could also have been derived from or influenced by Old English wīc (“camp”), on account of the temporary encampments which were often a prominent feature of the Vikings’ raids.
Others proposals were made, like e.g. deriving víkingr from the root related to the verb víkja or deriving both English and Old Norse words to *wīkingaz related to víkja or wīc.

أُرْدَمَانِيّ

One of the Scandinavian seafaring warriors

(American football) A player on the Minnesota Vikings NFL team.


backhander

From backhand + -er (patient suffix) or -er (agent noun suffix).

(racquet sports) A shot played backhand, a backhand stroke.

She's a terrific backhander.

(racquet sports) A player who plays a backhand shot.

The morning brought an increased swell; long, perfect, down-the-line, 6-8' freight trains — a forehander's dream and a backhander's nightmare

(surfing) A surfer who approaches a swell with the wave behind them ("on their backhand") rather than facing the wave ("on their forehand").


heavy roller

Thommo pointed out on the radio that under normal circumstances the wicket retains moisture beneath a hard surface, and this water is brought to the surface by the heavy roller and causes problems on the first day of a game.

2003, David Mortimer, Classic Cricket Clangers, page 179:

(cricket) The heavier of the rollers used for flattening the pitch between innings.


hit the ball twice

head

hit the ball twice (phrasal noun, uncountable)

34. Hit the ball twice

1992, Tony Pocock, Official Rules of Sports & Games, 1992-93, page 392:

Law 34 (Hit the ball twice) ...

2003, Marylebone Cricket Club, The official laws of cricket: Law 34 (Hit the ball twice) [online version], archived from the original on 2009-02-20:

5 Hit the ball twice - lf a striker sees that the ball, which has just been hit, is going to be caught, it would be unfair to hit the ball for a second time.

2006, Julia Hickey, Understanding Cricket:

(cricket) A rule ("law" in cricket) which when invoked results in the dismissal of a batsman (out), whereby the batsman has deliberately hit the ball with his bat a second time for a reason other than to protect his wicket.


hit wicket

(cricket) Describing a method of dismissal of a batsman (out) in which the batsman hits his own wicket either with the bat or his body, usually while attempting to play the ball.


overlap

From over- + lap.
Cognate with Dutch overlap.

(rugby) a situation in the game where an attacking line has more players in it than the defensive line coming to meet it. The attacking side may exploit the overlap by using their superior numbers to break the opposition's defensive line. If attackers outnumber defenders by more than one player this is often termed a two man overlap or three man overlap, etc. If the attacking side fails to break through usually due to poor execution, they are said to waste an overlap.


roly-poly

en-noun

roly-poly (countable and uncountable, plural roly-polys or roly-polies)

roly-polys (plural)
roly-polies (plural)
rolly polly (alternative)
rolly-poly (alternative)
rolly-pooly (alternative)

/ˌɹəʊlɪˈpəʊli/

The noun is apparently derived from roll (“to turn over and over”) + -y (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having the quality of’), reduplicated with a change of the initial consonant. Compare rolly (“having the ability to roll, rolling”, adjective), which is attested since the 19th century.
Sense 1.7 (“mischievous or worthless person”) is possibly influenced by poll (“head; (archaic) scalp; (by extension) person”).
The adjective and adverb are attested later than the noun, and so are probably derived from it.

suffix

When you are finished with circle time, dismiss your children by helping each one do a roly-poly roll (a somersault) and roll away to their next activity.

1994, Patty Claycomb, “Roly-poly”, in Gayle Bittinger, editor, Bear Hugs for Circle Time: Positive Activities that Encourage Children to Pay Attention, Everett, Wash.: Warren Publishing House, →ISBN, page 14:

Children of this age can rarely complete a forward roll or somersault properly. […] A ‘roly poly’ roll or a tucked sideways roll will give the children just as much pleasure and also enough exercise and knowlege of turning and rolling at this stage of their development.

1997, Pauline Wetton, “Nursery Class Activities for the Primary School Hall”, in Physical Education in the Early Years (Teaching and Learning in the First Three Years at School), London, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 57:

(gymnastics) A forward roll or sideways roll.


fistmele

From fist + mele, variant of meal (“measure”), from Old English mæl.

(archery) A traditional unit of distance equal to the width of a clenched fist with the thumb extended (approx. 6½ inches or 16½ centimetres).


turner

From Middle English turner, torner, tornere, turnere, turnare, equivalent to turn + -er. Also from Middle English turnour, tornour, tournour, turnoure, from Old French tornour, tourneour, tourneur, tornëor (“one who fashions something by turning”).

(cricket) A very dry pitch on which the ball will turn with ease.


turner

(sports) An acrobat or gymnast, especially (historical) a member of the German Turnvereine, German-American gymnastic clubs that also served as nationalist political groups.


crotch

Of disputed origin; two possibilities seem likely:
* From Middle English croche, variant of crucche (“crutch”); compare crook.
* From Middle English croche, variant of crouche (“cross, crozier”).

could eat the crotch out of a low flying duck

(billiards) In the three-ball carom game, a small space at each corner of the table.


partial

From Middle English partiall, parcial, from Old French parcial (“biased or particular”), from Late Latin partiālis (“of or pertaining to a part”), from Latin pars (“part”).

der

Research tells us that eccentrics, heavy partials, and static exercise may require several days or weeks of recovery time.

2021, Edward L. Wallace, Omniflex: A Unified System of Strength Training:

(bodybuilding) The condition of not exhausting the amplitude during the repetition of an exercise.


gutter

Sranan Tongo: gotro

From Middle English gutter, guttur, goter, from Anglo-Norman guttere, from Old French goutiere (French gouttière), ultimately from Latin gutta (“drop”).

You can decide to use the bumpers to avoid the ball going down the gutter every time.

(bowling) A groove down the sides of a bowling lane.


campus

en-verb

campus (third-person singular simple present campuses or campusses, present participle campusing or campussing, simple past and past participle campused or campussed)

campuses (present singular third-person)
campusses (present singular third-person)
campusing (participle present)
campussing (participle present)
campused (participle past)
campused (past)
campussed (participle past)
campussed (past)

Borrowed from Latin campus (“field”). Doublet of camp and champ.
First used in its current sense in reference to Princeton University in the 1770s.

It is climbed or "campused" with only your arms and hands.

2010, Stewart M. Green, Ian Spencer-Green, Knack Rock Climbing: A Beginner’s Guide, page 30:

Boulder campusing is a popular indoor training exercise among advanced climbers—it's also a heck of a lot of fun if you're strong enough to do it right!

2016, Eric Horst, The Rock Climber's Exercise Guide, page 159:

(climbing) To use a campus board, or to climb without feet as one would on a campus board.


pommel

From Middle English pomel, from Old French pomel and Medieval Latin pomellum, pumellum, presumedly via Vulgar Latin *pomellum (“ball, knob”), the diminutive of Late Latin pōmum (“apple”). Compare French pommeau and Spanish pomo.

The player, armed with a pommel, stands from two to three feet from the spell, places a knur in the cup which is held down by the rack.

1871, Edmund Routledge, Routledge's Every Boy's Annual:

The commonest method of playing the game, by the smaller boys of the village, was with a "sendstick," or pommel, and a wooden spell with a hole in one end to place the knur, which, when struck "tip-cat" like at the other end, threw the knur up to be struck at.

1886, William Smith, Morley: Ancient and Modern:

Next, the spring of the spell, at the end of which is a small brass cup to hold the knur, is adjusted by thumbscrews, so that when released by a touch of the pommel on the trigger, it will toss the knur a distance of six feet forward.

1911, The Encyclopaedia of sport & games, volume 3:

(sports, obsolete) The bat used in the game of knurr and spell or trap ball.


jog

jog (third-person singular simple present jogs, present participle jogging, simple past and past participle jogged)

jogs (present singular third-person)
jogging (participle present)
jogged (participle past)
jogged (past)

Late Middle English, of uncertain origin. Originally with the meaning of "to shake up and down".
Perhaps an early alteration of English shog (“to jolt, shake; depart, go”), from Middle English shoggen, schoggen (“to shake up and down, jog”), from Middle Dutch schocken (“to jolt, bounce”) or Middle Low German schoggen, schocken (“to shog”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *skokkan (“to move, shake, tremble”). More at shock.
Alternatively from Middle English joggen, a variant of jaggen (“to pierce, prod, stir up, arouse”) (see jag).

der

I saw her jogging in the forest yesterday.

(exercise, intransitive) To move at a pace between walking and running, to run at a leisurely pace.


inner

outer

antonym(s) of “One who supports remaining in the EU”

From Middle English inner, ynner, ynnere, from Old English innera, comparative of inne (“within”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁en.

wicket-keeping gloves
wicket-keeping gloves

(cricket) A thin glove worn inside batting gloves or wicket-keeping gloves.


bottom of the ninth

Bottom, from the home team's location below visitors on the scoreboard; ninth from the number of innings in a baseball game.

Hitting a home run with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth let the home team finish ahead of the visitors.

(baseball) The second part of the ninth and final inning; the end of the game.


natty

en-adj

natty (comparative more natty, superlative most natty)

more natty (comparative)
most natty (superlative)
nattie (alternative)

natty gains

(slang, sports, particularly bodybuilding) Natural, as opposed to steroid enhanced.


natty

(slang, sports, particularly bodybuilding) Someone whose muscle gains are natural and not aided by the use of steroids.


natty

I hope my favorite team makes it to the natty this season.

(slang, sports) A national championship.


pavilion

From Middle English pavilloun, from Anglo-Norman pavilloun, from Latin pāpiliōnem, form of pāpiliō (“butterfly, moth”) (due to resemblance of tent to a butterfly’s wings), of unknown origin. Doublet of papillon.
Cognate to French pavillon (“pavilion”) and papillon (“butterfly”), and similar terms in other Romance languages.

(cricket) The building where the players change clothes, wait to bat, and eat their meals.


twitch

en-noun

twitch (countable and uncountable, plural twitches)

From Middle English twicchen, from Old English *twiċċan, from Proto-West Germanic *twikkijan (“to nail, pin, fasten, clasp, pinch”).
Cognate with English tweak, Low German twikken, German Low German twicken (“to pinch, pinch off”), zweckōn and gizwickan (> German zwicken (“to pinch”)).

cog

THE TWITCH is a short stick of strong ash, about the size of a mopstick, with a hole pierced near the end, through which is passed a piece of strong but small cord, and tied in a loop large enough to admit the open hand freely.

1861, John Henry Walsh, The Horse in the Stable and in the Field:

(farriery) A stick with a hole in one end through which passes a loop, which can be drawn tightly over the upper lip or an ear of a horse and twisted to keep the animal quiet during minor surgery.


SAS

(sports) Initialism of San Antonio Spurs, American basketball club.


off the hook

That's five three-pointers in a row! Smith is off the hook!

(idiomatic, informal, sports) Performing extraordinarily well.


spoiler

→ Catalan: espòiler

→ Czech: spoiler

→ French: spoiler

→ Georgian: სპოილერი (sṗoileri)

→ German: Spoiler

→ Italian: spoiler

→ Polish: spoiler

→ Portuguese: spoiler

→ Russian: спо́йлер (spójler)

→ Spanish: spoiler

→ Turkish: spoiler

→ Ukrainian: спо́йлер (spójler)

спо́йлер

automobiles: device to reduce lift and increase downforce

The optimism at the opening of the talks could not be dampened even by a few spoilers.

1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, London: Abacus, published 2010, page 713:

Several experts do not believe Jorgensen was a Trump “spoiler” in 2020.

2020 November 8, Victoria Bekiempis, “Was Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen a 'spoiler' for Trump?”, in The Guardian:

(US, chiefly politics, sports) A competitor, unable to win themselves, who spoils the chances of another’s victory.


fumble

en-verb

fumble (third-person singular simple present fumbles, present participle fumbling, simple past and past participle fumbled)

fumbles (present singular third-person)
fumbling (participle present)
fumbled (participle past)
fumbled (past)
famble (alternative)
fimble (alternative)

Late Middle English, from Low German fummeln, fommeln, fammeln (German fummeln), or Dutch fommelen.
Or, perhaps from a Scandinavian/North Germanic source; compare related Old Norse fálma, Icelandic fálma, Danish fumle, especially Swedish fumla, famla, with variants: fumbla (“fumble”), fambla (“famble”), related to Swedish fim, fem (Danish fim, Norwegian fim, feima), with a root meaning of “cover, coating of foam or figuratively ditto”, cognate to German Feim (“surf”) and English foam. Possibly has (a more or less unconscious) connection to fathom (via Old Norse faðmr, Swedish famn) in the sense of “embrace”.
The ultimate origin for either could perhaps be imitative of fumbling. Or, from Proto-Indo-European *pal- (“to shake, swing”), see also Latin palpo (“I pat, touch softly”), and possibly Proto-West Germanic *fōlijan (“to feel”).

onomatopoeic

imitative

cog

Henderson's best strike on goal saw goalkeeper Kingson uncomfortably fumble his measured shot around the post.

2010 December 28, Owen Phillips, “Sunderland 0 - 2 Blackpool”, in BBC:

(transitive, intransitive, sports) To drop a ball or a baton etc. by accident.


fumble

fumbles (plural)
famble (alternative)
fimble (alternative)

onomatopoeic

imitative

(sports, American football, Canadian football) A ball etc. that has been dropped by accident.


baseline

The umpire missed the call. The ball hit the baseline.

(tennis) The line at the farthest ends of the court indicating the boundary of the area of play.

底线

tennis: chalk line at the farthest ends of the court


baseline

en-verb

baseline (third-person singular simple present baselines, present participle baselining, simple past and past participle baselined)

baselines (present singular third-person)
baselining (participle present)
baselined (participle past)
baselined (past)

By the time Maggie, who is eight years younger than Manuela, started playing, baselining was no longer enough to win points, so she learned to move around the court more …

2002, Susan Orlean, The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup, →ISBN, page 260:


closer

From Middle English closere, equivalent to close (verb) + -er.

They brought their closer in for the ninth.

(baseball) A relief pitcher who specializes in getting the last three outs of the game.

(horse racing) A horse that performs best toward the end of a race.


red card

→ Japanese: レッドカード (reddo kādo)

→ Korean: 레드카드 (redeukadeu)

In the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Argentine player Diego Maradona was given a red card for striking a US player Tab Ramos.

An off the ball incident led to N'Zogbia confronting Wilshere before leaning his head into the Englishman and giving referee Lee Probert no choice but to show the red card.

2010 December 29, Mark Vesty, “Wigan 2 - 2 Arsenal”, in BBC:

(sports) A card displayed by the referee when a player is sent off for a serious infringement of the rules.


send off

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

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

Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"

2004, Lana A. Whited, The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon, →ISBN:

Fehily blows the whistle and Ronan's going, 'Think he has a nose bleed, Fadder,' and all the other parents are going, 'He struck him, referee! Send him off!' and Fehily's giving it, 'I didn't see the incident,' lying, of course, just like he used to lie for me.

2007, Ross O'Carroll-Kelly, Should Have Got Off at Sydney Parade, →ISBN:

England secured their place at Euro 2012 with a scrambled draw in Montenegro - but Wayne Rooney was sent off and will miss the start of the tournament.

2011, Phil McNulty, Euro 2012: Montenegro 2-2 England:

Just like he did when he reffed our clash with Chelsea when he failed to send off Eto'o for a kneehigh lunge on Henderson.

2014, Neil Collins, Make Us Dream: A Fan's View of the 2013/14 Season, →ISBN, page 271:

(sports) To show someone a red card, and dismiss them from the playing area.

wegsturen

sports, soccer: to give someone a red card


officiate

officiate (third-person singular simple present officiates, present participle officiating, simple past and past participle officiated)

officiates (present singular third-person)
officiating (participle present)
officiated (participle past)
officiated (past)

Circa 17th century, from Latin officiātus, perfect passive participle of officiō (“conduct or perform religious services”), from Latin officium (“official duty, service”).

der

This is the second time he has officiated at a cup-final.

He's never officiated a cup-final before.

(intransitive, transitive, sports) To serve as umpire or referee.


off-season

off-seasons (plural)
offseason (alternative)

Alternating off-season and precontest cycles in bodybuilding over a period of years will result in the relatively quick development of a championship physique.

1983, Joe Weider, The Weider System of Bodybuilding, page 4:

That’s why virtually nothing should be off the table this offseason, including the idea of improving at quarterback.

2023 April 5, Jeff Howe, “In Belichick’s pursuit of glory, nothing is off the table, even idea of trading Mac Jones”, in The Athletic:

(sports) A period of time when regular competitions are not being held, or when an athlete is not participating in competitions.


couloir

Borrowed from French couloir (literally “corridor”).

Those deep, dark slots in a mountain known as couloirs are often the most obvious routes of ascent.

1978, Yvon Chouinard, Climbing Ice, page 145:

Looking up the face I could see directly into the Japanese and Hornbein couloirs, an almost direct 9000 feet to the summit.

1987, Roger Marshall, AdventureSport: Everest and Me: Backpacker, page 42:

Ascend a long, easy snow couloir back left to the crest of Cassin Ridge at 17700 feet, where there is a campsite.

1998, R. J. Secor, Denali Climbing Guide, page 99:

2002, American Alpine Club Safety Committee, Alpine Club of Canada Safety Committee, Accidents in North American Mountaineering, Issue 55, page 58,
When they approached the couloir shortly before 0300, the snow was firm enough for them to use crampons.

(climbing, skiing) A steep gorge along a mountainside.


forerunner

From Middle English forrenner, foreriner. Calque of Latin praecursor (“one who runs before, a forerunner”). Equivalent to fore- + runner and/or forerun + -er.

cal

(sports) By extension, a non-competitor who leads out the competitors on to the circuit, or who runs/rides the course prior to competitor trials, usually testing or checking the way.


terrace chant

(sports) A phrase or song chanted at a football match or other sports event.


criterium

From French critérium (“competition”), from Latin critērium, from Ancient Greek κριτήριον (kritḗrion).

/kɹaɪˈtɪəɹiəm/

(cycling) A mass-start road-cycle race consisting of several laps around a closed circuit, the length of each lap or circuit ranging from about 1 km to 2 km (1/2 mile to just over 1 mile).

（自行車）繞圈賽 /（自行车）绕圈赛

road-cycle race consisting of a closed circuit


quad

Shortened, via clipping or abbreviation, from various English terms. Ultimately related to Latin quattuor (“4”); compare quadri-, quadruple.
The typography senses are from the abbreviation quad. for obsolete quadrat; the keyboard command comes from the verb sense.

Something that is quadruple (four times) the usual amount, number, etc.

(skating) A quadruple, a jump with four revolutions in the air.


multiplex

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

From multi- + -plex or multi- + complex.

(juggling) A throwing motion where more than one ball is thrown with one hand at the same time.


multiplex

en-verb

multiplex (third-person singular simple present multiplexes, present participle multiplexing, simple past and past participle multiplexed)

multiplexes (present singular third-person)
multiplexing (participle present)
multiplexed (participle past)
multiplexed (past)


on target

Everton went close late on but managed just one attempt on target all match.

2011 December 10, David Ornstein, “Arsenal 1 - 0 Everton”, in BBC Sport:


brawl

From French branle (“type of dance; an act of shaking, a shake”), from branler (“to shake”), from Old French brandeler (“to shake, wave; to agitate”); see further at etymology 2.
Alternatively, the word could be derived from brawl (“(obsolete) to move to and fro, quiver, shake”): see etymology 2.

der

(dance, obsolete) A type of dance move or step.

Boy. Maiſter, will you win your loue with a french braule? / Brag[gart]. How meaneſt thou? brawling in French. / Boy. No my complet Maiſter, but to Iigge off a tune at the tongues ende, canarie to it with your feete, humour it with turning vp your eylids, ſigh a note and ſing a note ſomtime through the throate, if you ſwallowed loue with ſinging loue [...]

c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC; republished as Shakspere’s Loves Labours Lost (Shakspere-Quarto Facsimiles; no. 5), London: W[illiam] Griggs, […], [1880], →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

(dance, music, historical) Alternative form of branle (“dance of French origin dating from the 16th century, performed by couples in a circle or a line; the music for this dance”)


blink

en-noun

blink (countable and uncountable, plural blinks)

From Middle English blynken, blenken, from Old English blincan (suggested by causative verb blenċan (“to deceive”); > English blench), from Proto-Germanic *blinkaną, a variant of *blīkaną (“to gleam, shine”).
Cognate with Dutch blinken (“to glitter, shine”), German blinken (“to flash, blink”), Danish blinke (“to flash, twinkle, wink, blink”), Swedish blinka (“to flash, blink, twinkle, wink, blink”). Related to blank, blick, blike, bleak.

cog

(sports, in the plural) Boughs cast where deer are to pass, in order to turn or check them.


opener

オープナー

baseball pitcher who starts the game, but is planned to have a short outing

(cricket) A batsman or bowler who normally plays in the first two positions of an innings.

pelinavaaja

England were on the scoreboard after only one minute, Wilkinson, who missed five penalties in his side's opener against the Pumas, knocking over a three-pointer from bang in front, despite boos from the crowd.

2011 September 24, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 67-3 Romania”, in BBC Sport:

(sports) The first game played in a competition.

The opener came from a Jarvis ball which struck Aleksandar Kolarov en route to a lively round of pinball between City players before it was poked in by Milijas.

2011 January 15, Saj Chowdhury, “Man City 4 - 3 Wolves”, in BBC:

(sports) The first goal or point scored.

The Rays debuted the opener—in which a reliever starts the game and throws anywhere from one to three innings, then gives way to a new pitcher, who will usually throw three to five as essentially a second starter—on May 19 against the Angels, using veteran righty Sergio Romo to pitch the first.

2018 August 23, Jon Tayler, “How the Tampa Bay Rays Reinvented the Concept of Starting Pitching”, in Sports Illustrated:

(baseball) A pitcher who specializes in getting the first outs of a game before being replaced, either by a long reliever or a pitcher who would normally start.


malparry

(fencing) A parry that insufficiently removes the incoming blade from the target area.


RAF

(motor racing) Abbreviation of Russian Automobile Federation.

The national identifier for Russians in international motorsport while Russia is under ban by the ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport supporting the ban enacted by the World Anti-Doping Agency.


Mario

Borrowed from Italian and Spanish Mario, both of which coming from Latin Marius.

(automotive, motor racing, figurative) Ellipsis of Mario Andretti (“one who drives fast or recklessly”).


outright

en-verb

outright (third-person singular simple present outrights, present participle outrighting, simple past and past participle outrighted)

outrights (present singular third-person)
outrighting (participle present)
outrighted (participle past)
outrighted (past)

From Middle English outright, equivalent to out + right.

Sandy Alomar Jr. cleared waivers and was outrighted to Class AA Binghamton in preparation for his promotion when rosters expand Saturday.

2007 August 30, Ben Shpigel, “Martínez to Audition for Mets’ Brain Trust”, in New York Times:

(sports) To release a player outright, without conditions.


sweeper

From Middle English swepere, swepare, equivalent to sweep + -er. Cognate with Middle Low German swēpære, swēper (“broom for sweeping up debris”).

(soccer) A defender who is the last line of defence before the goalkeeper.

(curling) A person who sweeps the ice ahead of the rock in play.

(cricket) A batsman who plays sweep shots.

(cricket) A fielding position along the boundary; a fielder in this position.

(motor racing, slang) A large-radius, or high/medium speed corner in a racing circuit, named as such because of the ability of someone to trace the corner profile via "sweeping" motion of the arm.


keyhole

(basketball) The free-throw lane together with the circle surrounding the free-throw line; key.


behind the arc

The Nimrods shot an amazingly futile 2-for-45 from behind the arc.

(basketball, informal) Outside the three-point line.


touché

Borrowed from French touché, past participle of toucher (“to touch”). More at touch.


traveling

travelings (plural)
travelling (alternative)

(basketball) A violation committed by progressing while holding the ball instead of dribbling it.


double dribble

(basketball) A violation committed by dribbling for a second time without giving up possession of the ball.


foul out

A foul out was recorded on the scorecard.

His foul out sat poorly with the crowd.

(basketball) An instance of fouling out.


foul out

foul out (third-person singular simple present fouls out, present participle fouling out, simple past and past participle fouled out)

fouls out (present singular third-person)
fouling out (participle present)
fouled out (participle past)
fouled out (past)

He fouled out to lead off the third.

(baseball) To become out by hitting a foul ball which is caught.

The center has fouled out with only two points.

(basketball) To be disqualified from further play for having committed too many fouls.


layup

(basketball) A close-range shot in which the shooter banks the ball off the backboard from a few feet away.


reverse layup

(basketball) A running in which the shooter dives under the basket and shoots the ball straight away from the basket.


lay-in

(basketball) A shot in which the ball is tossed directly into the basket from near the rim.


scoop shot

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

(basketball) A shot taken underhanded from an unusually low position (as though scooping up the ball).


held ball

(basketball) A situation in which players of opposing teams both hold the ball, with neither clearly possessing it outright.


crossover dribble

en-noun

crossover dribble (plural crossover dribbles)

(basketball) A maneuver in which a dribbling player rapidly switches the ball from one side to the other in order to move around a defender.

Coach's Clipboard Video Clips of basketball maneuvers


knockdown

knockdown (countable and uncountable, plural knockdowns)

Pires, a three-time Cup winner with Arsenal who scored the Gunners' winner against Southampton in the 2003 final, has been a largely peripheral figure at Villa Park since joining in November - but the 37-year-old rolled back the years with a fine finish from Delfouneso's knockdown.

2011 January 29, Chris Bevan, “Aston Villa 3 - 1 Blackburn”, in BBC:

(soccer) a short pass played downwards, for example from the head onto someone's feet.


yellow card

→ Japanese: イエローカード (ierōkādo)

→ Korean: 옐로카드 (yellokadeu)

/ˈjɛl.əʊ ˌkɑːd/

association football
association football

(sports) a yellow-coloured card, shown to a player (especially in association football) as a caution that he or she has committed a flagrant foul; a further such foul would result in a red card.


waft

From Middle English waften, of uncertain origin. Possibly from unattested Old English *wafettan, from wafian (“to wave”) + -ettan, or perhaps borrowed from Middle Dutch wachten (“to guard, provide for”).
See also German wabern (“to waft”), Faroese veiftra (“to wave”) and Icelandic váfa (“to fluctuate, waver, doubt”).

der

(cricket, slang) A loose noncommittal shot, usually played to a ball pitched short of length and well wide of the off stump.


waggle

From Middle English wagelen (attested in wagelyng), possibly a borrowing of Middle Low German wagelen; equivalent to wag + -le (“(frequentative)”). Compare continental equivalents Middle High German wacken ( > Danish vakle, German wackeln), Swedish vagla, West Frisian waggelje, Low German wackeln, Dutch waggelen.

(golf) The preliminary swinging of the club head back and forth over the ball in the line of the proposed stroke.


walkover

walkovers (plural)
walk-over (alternative)

(sports) A bye or victory awarded to a competitor when a scheduled opponent fails to play a game.

luovutusvoitto

tennis: victory awarded when a scheduled opponent fails to play

(gymnastics) A backbend combined with a handstand.

souplesse

gymnastics: backbend combined with a handstand

(boxing) A match whose winner is declared because the other boxer does not appear in the ring within one minute of the official time.


top shelf

top shelves (plural)
top-shelf (alternative)

* (US: best, or high quality): Possibly from the higher quality, thus more expensive, thus less often used liquors being stored on the less accessible top shelf behind a wet bar.
* (British: material with adult content): Such material is often stored on the top shelf in a newsagent's shop, where it is both less visible and harder to reach without being seen.

(Canada, ice hockey) The upper part of the goal.


roto

en-noun

roto (countable and uncountable, plural rotos)

"But that's just not an exciting quote, so they put on that roto baseball guy saying disparaging things about fantasy football," Emil concedes, referring to a roto baseball expert that HBO interviewed for the piece[…]

2004, Mark St. Amant, Committed: confession of a fantasy football junkie:

Looking to find someone who has a comprehensive list of rules and regulations for Roto baseball.

1997, BGI bill, “Looking for Rules and Regulations for roto baseball league”, in pdaxs.sports.baseball (Usenet):

rotisserie baseball
rotisserie baseball#English

(US, sports, informal, uncountable) Clipping of rotisserie baseball.

rotisserie sports
rotisserie sports#English

(US, sports, informal, uncountable) Clipping of rotisserie sports.


steeplechase

Compound of steeple + chase, from horse races in 18th century Ireland in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple.

(chiefly British, equestrianism) A horse race, either across open country, or over an obstacle course.

(athletics) An athletics event in which the runners have to run 3000 metres round a track, jumping hurdles and a water obstacle along the way.


DNS

(sports) Initialism of does/did not start.


infraction

/ɪnˈfɹækʃən/

From Middle French infraction, from Latin infractio, from infractum, past participle of infringere, from in (“in”) + frangere (“to break”).

(ice hockey) A major violation of rules which leads to a penalty, if detected by the referee.


stunt

→ Danish: stunt

→ German: Stunt

→ Norwegian Bokmål: stunt

→ Norwegian Nynorsk: stunt

Unknown. Compare Middle Low German stunt (“a shoulder grip with which you throw someone on their back”), Middle English stunt (“foolish; stupid”).

cog

(American football) A special means of rushing the quarterback done to confuse the opposing team's offensive line.


stunt

en-verb

stunt (third-person singular simple present stunts, present participle stunting, simple past and past participle stunted)

stunts (present singular third-person)
stunting (participle present)
stunted (participle past)
stunted (past)

(intransitive, cheerleading) To perform a stunt.


choke

choke (third-person singular simple present chokes, present participle choking, simple past and past participle choked)

chokes (present singular third-person)
choking (participle present)
choked (participle past)
choked (past)
choak (alternative)
choake (alternative)
chock (alternative)

From Middle English choken (also cheken), from earlier acheken, from Old English āċēocian (“to choke”), probably derived from Old English ċēoce, ċēace (“jaw, cheek”), see cheek. Cognate with Icelandic kok (“throat”), koka (“to gulp”). See also achoke.

Take a grip with your right hand, slightly choked down from your normal grip.

2014, Roger Fredericks, The Flexible Golf Swing, page 108:

(golf, baseball, transitive) To hold the club or bat lower on the shaft in order to shorten one's swing.


choke

chokes (plural)
choak (alternative)
choake (alternative)
chock (alternative)

(sports) In wrestling, karate (etc.), a type of hold that can result in strangulation.


slap-back

(aerial freestyle skiing) a faulty landing, whereby the skier rotates backwards around the knee-joint and hits the snow of the landing slope with their back and head, before rising off the snow back into position with their skis underneath them.


reject

reject (third-person singular simple present rejects, present participle rejecting, simple past and past participle rejected)

rejects (present singular third-person)
rejecting (participle present)
rejected (participle past)
rejected (past)

From Late Middle English rejecten, from Latin rēiectus, past participle of reicere (“to throw back”), from re- (“back”) + iacere (“to throw”). Displaced native Old English āweorpan (literally “to throw out”).

ncog

(basketball) To block a shot, especially if it sends the ball off the court.


pullover

→ Bulgarian: пуловер (pulover)

→ Catalan: pul·lòver

→ Danish: pullover

→ Esperanto: pulovero

→ French: pull-over

→ Gulf Arabic: بلوڤر (blōvar)

→ German: Pullover

→ Hungarian: pulóver

→ Greek: πουλόβερ (poulóver)

→ Italian: pullover

→ Japanese: プルオーバー (puruōbā)

→ Georgian: პულოვერი (ṗuloveri)

→ Korean: 풀오버 (purobeo)

→ Polish: pulower

→ Portuguese: pulôver

→ Russian: пуло́вер (pulóver)

→ Sicilian: pullover

→ Spanish: pulóver

→ Swedish: pullover

(weightlifting) An exercise performed lying on the back in which the arms are extended behind the head and exertion lifts the weight above the head.

(gymnastics, horizontal bar) An exercise in which the gymnast pulls up from a hang lifting the legs up and over the bar thus rolling into a support position.


manhattan

(cricket) a bar chart representing the number of runs scored in each over (supposed to resemble a skyline of skyscrapers).


over one's head

He just shot a spectacularly over his head round of golf and beat all of us.

(idiomatic, sports) Performing at a level greatly superior to one's usual level of performance.


counter

→ Japanese: カウンター

→ Korean: 카운터 (kaunteo)

→ Malay: kaunter

desc

→ Thai: เคาน์เตอร์ (káo-dtə̂ə)

→ Thai: เคาน์เตอร์ (káo-dtə̂ə)

Inherited from Middle English countour, from Old French conteor (French comptoir), from Medieval Latin computātōrium, from Latin computō, equivalent to count + -er. Doublet of cantore, computer, and kontor.

doublet

[ˈkʰaʊ̯.ɾ̃ɚ]

(curling) Any stone lying closer to the center than any of the opponent's stones.


counter

From Old French contre, Anglo-Norman cuntre, both from Latin contra.

[ˈkʰaʊ̯.ɾ̃ɚ]

Always know a counter to any hold you try against your opponent.

(martial arts) A proactive defensive hold or move in reaction to a hold or move by one's opponent.

vastaliike

martial arts: proactive defensive hold or move in reaction to one's opponent


counter

en-verb

counter (third-person singular simple present counters, present participle countering, simple past and past participle countered)

counters (present singular third-person)
countering (participle present)
countered (participle past)
countered (past)

[ˈkʰaʊ̯.ɾ̃ɚ]

His left hand countered provokingly.

1857, Charles Kingsley, “(please specify the page)”, in Two Years Ago, volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC:

(boxing) To return a blow while receiving one, as in boxing.

vastata

boxing: to return a blow while receiving one


freestyle

en-noun

freestyle (countable and uncountable, plural freestyles)

freestyles (plural)
free-style (alternative)

自由式

(sports) A sports event where competitors can choose their own method of participation.

(swimming) A swimming event in which the contestants may choose any stroke.

(swimming, by extension) The swimming stroke commonly referred to as the front crawl or the Australian crawl.

cross-country skiing
cross-country skiing

(skiing) A cross-country skiing event in which the competitors may choose any style of skiing.

(skiing, by extension) The skiing style commonly referred to as skating.

(wrestling) A style of wrestling in which any non-injurious holds are permitted.


SAC

surface air consumption
surface air consumption#English

(underwater diving) Acronym of surface air consumption.


stance

2013 World Fencing Championships
Arianna Errigo
Carolin Golubytskyi
Edinburgh Waverley railway station

From Middle English staunce (“place to stand; battle station; position; standing in society; circumstance, situation; stanchion”), from Old French estance (“predicament; situation; sojourn, stay”) (compare modern French stance (“stanza; position one stands in when golfing”)), from Italian stanza (“room, standing place; stanza”), from Vulgar Latin *stantia, from Latin stō (“to stand; to remain, stay”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”). The word is cognate with Spanish estante (“shelf”) and a doublet of stanza.
The verb is derived from the noun.

der

In a harness belay, the stance itself is the belayer's first line of defense, reducing the load the anchor must hold. The anchor in this case serves as little more than a backup (albeit a critical one) to the stance.

2004, Mark Houston, Kathy Cosley, “Snow and Ice”, in Alpine Climbing: Techniques to Take You Higher, Seattle, Wash.: The Mountaineers Books, →ISBN, page 225, column 2:

There is always the option of clambering up slightly higher and building a new belay station (stance), take in the rope for a fellow climber, once again clamber up higher and once again build a new, higher stance … and so on until the rope reaches the stop where the upper end of the rope has become caught in the rock.

2014 July 18, Thomas Kublak, “Problems when Rappelling”, in Mountaineering Methodology: Part III: Belaying and Rappelling, [s.l.]: Tomas Kublak, MMPublishing, →ISBN, page 180, column 2:

A place to stand; a position, a site, a station.

(specifically, climbing) A foothold or ledge on which to set up a belay.


infield

They covered the infield with a tarp when it started to rain.

(baseball) The region of the field roughly bounded by the home plate, first base, second base and third base.

camp interior

baseball: The region of the field roughly bounded by the home plate, first base, second base and third base.

Jones ran out an infield single.

(baseball) (as a modifier, functioning as an adjective) Of an event, happening in the infield.

etukenttä-

baseball: (as a modifier, functioning as an adjective) Of an event, happening in the infield.

(cricket) The region of the field roughly bounded by the wicket keeper, slips, gully, point, cover, mid off, mid on, midwicket and square leg.

etukenttä

cricket: The region of the field roughly bounded by the wicket keeper, slips, gully, etc.


souped-up

en-adj

souped-up (comparative more souped-up, superlative most souped-up)

more souped-up (comparative)
most souped-up (superlative)
souped (alternative)
souped up (alternative)
suped-up (alternative)

Uncertain; the fact that the earlier senses seem to be the horse racing cant and United States Navy slang ones suggests a derivation from soup (“liquid food item”), connoting a horse or a person being filled with a liquid.
Alternatively, it has been suggested that the term is a modified clipping of supe(r), with reference to an aeroplane or automobile engine being supercharged: see, for example, the 1925 quotation. This sense appears to post-date the horse-racing and navy slang senses.

(horse racing, cant) Of a racehorse: injected with a substance to make it run faster or to change its temperament.

napumpan

of a racehorse: injected with a substance to make it run faster


tramline

tramlines (plural)
tram line (alternative)

(tennis, British) Either of the two pairs of sidelines marked on a tennis court which mark the outside of the singles and doubles playing areas.


stump

From Middle English stumpe, stompe (“stump”), from or akin to Middle Low German stump (“stump”) or Middle Dutch stomp, from Old Saxon or Old Dutch *stump, from Proto-West Germanic *stump, from Proto-Germanic *stumpaz (“stump, blunt, part cut off”).
Cognate with Middle Dutch stomp (“stump”), Old High German stumph (“stump”) (German Stumpf), Old Norse stumpr (“stump”). More at stop.

der

(cricket) One of three small wooden posts which together with the bails make the wicket and that the fielding team attempt to hit with the ball.

keppi

cricket: one of the three vertical wooden posts in the wicket


stump

en-verb

stump (third-person singular simple present stumps, present participle stumping, simple past and past participle stumped)

stumps (present singular third-person)
stumping (participle present)
stumped (participle past)
stumped (past)
stump (infinitive)

(transitive, cricket, of a wicket keeper) To get a batsman out stumped.

A herd of boys with clamour bowled, / And stumped the wicket.

1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Prologue”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:

(transitive, cricket) To bowl down the stumps of (a wicket).


pancake

en-noun

pancake (countable and uncountable, plural pancakes)

pancakes (plural)
pan cake (alternative)

→ Cantonese: 班戟 (baan¹ gik¹)

→ Mandarin: 班戟 (bānjǐ)

→ Cebuano: pankeyk

→ French: pancake

→ German: Pancake

desc

→ Hijazi Arabic: بانكيك (bānkēk, pānkēk)

→⇒ Irish: pancóg

→ Japanese: パンケーキ (pankēki)

→⇒ Khmer: នំផេនខេក (num pheenkheek)

→ Korean: 팬케이크 (paenkeikeu)

→ Nauruan: epankeik

→ Portuguese: panqueca, (dated) panqueque, (dated) pancake

→ Russian: панкейк (pankejk)

→ Spanish: (Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay) panqueque, (Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico) pancake, (Venezuela) panqueca

→ Thai: แพนเค้ก (pɛɛn-kéek)

→ Turkish: pankek

→ Azerbaijani: pankek

→ Yoruba: pan̄kéèkì

Inherited from Middle English pancake, panne cake, pankake, ponkake, equivalent to pan + cake.
Perhaps adapted from Middle Low German pankôke, pannekôke, from Old Saxon *pannakōko (suggested by derivatives Old Saxon pannakōkilo and pannakōkilīn), where the compound is much older; compare Old High German phankuohho (8th century), whence Middle High German phankuoche, German Pfannkuchen (“pancake”); further
Saterland Frisian Ponkouke, Ponkuuke (“pancake”), West Frisian pankoek (“pancake”), Dutch pannenkoek (“pancake”), German Low German Pannkook (“pancake”).
The juggling sense is by analogy with a pancake being tossed in a pan.

have been working on pancake throws with rings for the past few months and I have been trying to make the throws perfectly spun and as consistent as possible.

2004, Beinn Muir <bm260@nospam4me.cam.ac.uk>, “Ring juggling: pancake throws”, in rec.juggling (Usenet):

(countable, juggling) A type of throw, usually with a ring where the prop is thrown in such a way that it rotates round an axis of the diameter of the prop.

(countable, volleyball) A defensive play in which the ball bounces off the top of a hand that has been pressed flat against the floor.


semicircle

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


seventh inning stretch

en-noun

seventh inning stretch (plural seventh inning stretches)

(baseball) A more extended than usual break taken between the top half and the bottom half of the seventh inning.


stumps

England still have a chance of winning tomorrow if they can get India out before stumps today.

(cricket) close of play (when the stumps are pulled out of the ground by the umpires)


wayward

en-adj

wayward (comparative more wayward, superlative most wayward)

more wayward (comparative)
most wayward (superlative)

Bulgaria's only attacking weapon was the wayward shooting of Martin Petrov, whereas England's attacking options were awash with movement in the shape of Rooney, Young and Walcott.

2011 September 2, Phil McNulty, “Bulgaria 0-3 England”, in BBC:


farmhand

(baseball) A player in the minor leagues.


willow

en-noun

willow (countable and uncountable, plural willows)

From Middle English wilwe, welew, variant of wilghe, from Old English welig, from Proto-West Germanic *wilig, from Proto-Germanic *wiligaz, from Proto-Indo-European *welik- (compare (Arcadian) Ancient Greek ἑλίκη (helíkē), Hittite 𒌑𒂖𒆪 (welku, “grass”)), from *wel- (“twist, turn”).

(baseball, slang, 1800s) The baseball bat.


tuck

tuck (countable and uncountable, plural tucks)

From Middle English tuken, touken (“to torment, to stretch (cloth)”), from Old English tūcian (“to torment, vex”) and Middle Dutch tucken (“to tuck”), both from Proto-Germanic *teuh-, *teug- (“to draw, pull”) (compare also *tukkōną), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull”). Akin to Old High German zucchen (“to snatch, tug”), zuchôn (“to jerk”), German Low German tuken (“to tug, pluck, grab and pull towards”), Old English tēon (“to draw, pull, train”). Doublet of touch.

cog

(diving, gymnastics) A curled position, with the shins held towards the body.


scrum-half

(rugby) player who introduces the ball into a scrum.


lineout

lineouts (plural)
line-out (alternative)

(baseball) An out produced by catching a line drive.


fly-half

Fly-half Holly Aitchison has had a mixed tournament with the boot up until this match, with Mitchell saying in the week he had no concerns over her kicking and being proved correct in Bordeaux.

2024 April 27, Alastair Telfer, “England beat France to seal Grand Slam hat-trick”, in BBC Sport:

(rugby) A rugby player who is normally the first receiver of the ball from the scrum half after a scrum; a half-back.


knock-on

It took until the 33rd minute for England to get on the scoreboard, Wilkinson finally finding his range from out left, but a knock-on from James Haskell from the re-start put his team straight back under pressure.

2011 October 1, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland”, in BBC Sport:

(rugby) A foul in which a player knocks the ball forward, often unintentionally


dangle

en-verb

dangle (third-person singular simple present dangles, present participle dangling, simple past and past participle dangled)

dangles (present singular third-person)
dangling (participle present)
dangled (participle past)
dangled (past)

Uncertain, but likely of North Germanic origin, akin to Danish dingle, dangle, Swedish dangla (“to swing about”), Norwegian dangla, perhaps via North Frisian dangeln; all possibly related to Old Norse dengja (“to hit”).

He dangled around three players and the goalie to score.

(intransitive, slang, ice hockey, lacrosse) The action of performing a move or deke with the puck in order to get past a defender or goalie; perhaps because of the resemblance to dangling the puck on a string.


dangle

That was a sick dangle for a great goal!

(slang, ice hockey, lacrosse) The action of dangling; a series of complex stick tricks and fakes in order to defeat the defender in style.


punt

punt (third-person singular simple present punts, present participle punting, simple past and past participle punted)

punts (present singular third-person)
punting (participle present)
punted (participle past)
punted (past)

Possibly a dialectal variant of bunt. Rugby is the origin of the sports usage of the term.

Australian rules football
Australian rules football

To dropkick; to kick something a considerable distance.

(rugby, American football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, soccer, transitive, intransitive) To kick a ball dropped from the hands before it hits the ground. (This puts the ball farther from the goal across which the opposing team is attempting to score, so improves the chances of the team punting.)

Australian rules football; Gaelic football; Australian rules football; Gaelic football

With five minutes remaining Hennessey was down well to block another Vukcevic shot, while Gunter was smartly in to punt away the dangerous loose ball.

2011 September 2, “Wales 2-1 Montenegro”, in BBC:

(soccer) To kick a bouncing ball far and high.


punt

(rugby, American football, soccer) A kick made by a player who drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground.


weightlifting

(sports) A sport in which competitors lift heavy weights in two events: the snatch and the clean and jerk.


pill

* From Middle English pille (also pillem), a borrowing from Middle Low German pille or Middle Dutch pille (whence Dutch pil), probably from Latin pila, pilula.
* (persuade or convince): Generalized from red pill.

"Strike two!" bawled the umpire. I threw the pill back to Tom with a heart which drummed above the noise of the rooters along the side lines.

Mr. Fisher contributed to the Sox effort when he threw the pill past second baseman Rath after Felsch hit him a comebacker.

2002, John Klima, Pitched Battle: 35 of Baseball's Greatest Duels from the Mound:


pin down

pin down (third-person singular simple present pins down, present participle pinning down, simple past and past participle pinned down)

pins down (present singular third-person)
pinning down (participle present)
pinned down (participle past)
pinned down (past)

(wrestling) To hold the opponent back-first so both his or her shoulders touch the mat or ground.


sledge

sledge (third-person singular simple present sledges, present participle sledging, simple past and past participle sledged)

sledges (present singular third-person)
sledging (participle present)
sledged (participle past)
sledged (past)

From Sledge (“a surname”), influenced by sledgehammer. First attested in the 1960s in Australian English.
According to Ian Chappell, originated in Adelaide during the 1963/4 or 1964/5 Sheffield Shield season. A cricketer who swore in the presence of a woman was taken to be as subtle as a sledgehammer (meaning unsubtle) and was called “Percy” or “Sledge”, from singer Percy Sledge (whose song When a Man Loves a Woman was a hit at the time). Directing insults or obscenities at the opposition team then became known as sledging.

Batteries of fast bowlers softened batsmen up with short-pitched bowling, while fielders tried to disturb their concentration with a running commentary of insults commonly known as sledging.

1998, Larry Elliott, Daniel E Atkinson, The Age of Insecurity:

Then, all these...government legislators...would be able to totally concentrate on their roles and functions, without being entangled in interparty sledging and squabbles.

2004, Dhanjoo N. Ghista, Socio-Economic Democracy and the World Government: Collective Capitalism, Depovertization, Human Rights, Template for Sustainable Peace:

The 2000 Code of the Laws of Cricket includes new anti-sledging provisions.

2005, David Fraser, Cricket and the Law: The Man in White Is Always Right:

"Bloody hell even their sledging is now shite!!!" he sledged.

2013 November 6, Marina Hyde, “Whatever Shane Warne says, the Ashes sledgers need to raise their game”, in The Guardian:

it would be eccentric to change governments when we're delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when we're actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in mid-term, after quite a few months of pretty relentless sledging and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally.

7 July 2022, Boris Johnson, resignation speech:

(chiefly cricket, Australia) To verbally insult or abuse an opponent in order to distract them (considered unsportsmanlike).


sledge

Now that's what I call a sledge.

1990, Ashes: Battles and Bellylaughs, Byron Bay: Swan Publishing, page 173:

(chiefly cricket, Australia) An instance of sledging.


whereabouts

From Middle English wheraboutes, equivalent to whereabout + -s (adverbial suffix).

The IPC reminds all athletes in their Registered Testing Pool to remain vigilant when it comes to filing and updating their whereabouts.

2021 June 11, “Nigerian athlete Roland Ezuruike receives 18-month ban for whereabouts rule violation”, in Press Releases, International Paralympic Committee:

(sports) Information about an elite athlete's future whereabouts, supplied to antidoping authorities to facilitate random out-of-competition testing.


backhand

(tennis) A stroke made across the chest from the off-hand side to the racquet hand side; a stroke during which the back of the hand faces the shot.

(surfing) The hand towards the back of the board.


backhand

en-adj

backhand (comparative more backhand, superlative most backhand)

more backhand (comparative)
most backhand (superlative)

He scored on a backhand shot.

(ice hockey, of a play) Using the back side of the hockey stick.


whiff

The noun is possibly:
* partly a variant of Middle English wef, weffe (“bad smell, stench, stink; exhalation; vapour; tendency of something to go bad (?)”) [and other forms], possibly a variant of either:
** waf, waif, waife (“odour, scent”), possibly from waven (“to move to and fro, sway, wave; to stray, wander; to move in a weaving manner; (figuratively) to hesitate, vacillate”), from Old English wafian (“to wave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”); or
** wef (“a blow, stroke”), from weven (“to travel, wander; to move to and fro, flutter, waver; to blow something away, waft; to cause something to move; to fall; to cut deeply; to sever; to give up, yield; to give deference to; to avoid; to afflict, trouble; to beckon, signal”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Old English wefan (“to weave”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”)), or from wǣfan (see bewǣfan, ymbwǣfan); and
* partly onomatopoeic.
Noun sense 6 (“name of a number of flatfish”) is possibly derived from sense 1 (“brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air”), sense 4 (“small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.”), and other such senses.
The verb and adjective are derived from the noun. Verb sense 2.6 (“to catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat”) is possibly derived from sense 1.1 (“to carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air”), sense 2.2 (“to be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air”), and other such senses.
The interjection is derived from noun sense 7.4 (“a sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle”).

дъх

short inhalation or exhalation of breath

(sports, chiefly US, slang) A failure to hit a ball in various sports (for example, golf); a miss.

(baseball) From the batter's perspective: a strike.


whiff

en-verb

whiff (third-person singular simple present whiffs, present participle whiffing, simple past and past participle whiffed)

whiffs (present singular third-person)
whiffing (participle present)
whiffed (participle past)
whiffed (past)

(US, baseball) Of a pitcher: to strike out (a batter); to fan.

"Casey Bat". You can't help but swing this bat with all your might. There's a good chance that you may just whiff.

1995, HAL Laboratory, EarthBound, Nintendo, Super Nintendo Entertainment System:

(US, chiefly sports) Especially in baseball or golf: to completely miss hitting a ball; hence (baseball), of a batter: to strike out; to fan.

lyödä ohi

especially in baseball or golf: to completely miss hitting a ball


championship

en-noun

championship (countable and uncountable, plural championships)

(sports) A competition to determine a champion, especially the final of a series of competitions.


batting

batting (countable and uncountable, plural battings)

(cricket, baseball) The action of using a bat.


on the ball

...Rovers were also aided by some poor defending from West Brom, whose lapses at the back undid their excellent work on the ball and condemned Roberto di Matteo's Baggies side to a third straight defeat.

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


booth

→ Bengali: বুথ (buth)

→ Scottish Gaelic: bùth

→ Welsh: bwth

From Middle English bothe, from either Old English bōþ or Old Norse bóð (compare Swedish bod) and/or the variant búð (> Scots buth), from Proto-Germanic *bōþō, *būþiz, *buþǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-. Compare Middle Low German bôde, Middle Dutch boede, German Bude.

(hip-hop, slang, with “the”) A recording studio.


wick

→ Maori: wiki

From Middle English weke, wicke (“wick”), from Old English wēoce (“wick”), from Proto-West Germanic *weukā (“flax bundle, wick”), from Proto-Indo-European *weg- (“to weave”).
Compare West Frisian wjok, wjuk (“wing”), Dutch wiek (“wing; propeller, blade; wick”), German Wieche (“wisp; wick”), Swedish veke (“wick”).

cog

(curling) A narrow opening in the field, flanked by other players' stones.

(curling) A shot where the played stone touches a stationary stone just enough that the played stone changes direction.


wick

en-verb

wick (third-person singular simple present wicks, present participle wicking, simple past and past participle wicked)

wicks (present singular third-person)
wicking (participle present)
wicked (participle past)
wicked (past)

(curling) To strike (a stone) obliquely; to strike (a stationary stone) just enough that the played stone changes direction.


wide open

en-adj

wide open (comparative wider open or more wide open, superlative widest open or most wide open)

wider open (comparative)
more wide open (comparative)
widest open (superlative)
most wide open (superlative)
wide-open (alternative)

He was wide open and scored easily after receiving the pass.

(sports) Without the presence of opponents nearby.


lunette

Unadapted borrowing from French lunette, diminutive of lune (“moon”).

(farriery) A half horseshoe, lacking the sponge.


blow up

en-verb

blow up (third-person singular simple present blows up, present participle blowing up, simple past blew up, past participle blown up)

blows up (present singular third-person)
blowing up (participle present)
blew up (past)
blown up (participle past)

From Middle English blow up, blowe up, dissimilated forms of earlier Middle English upblowen (> English upblow), equivalent to blow + up. Compare West Frisian opblaze (“to blow up, inflate”), Dutch opblazen (“to blow up, inflate”), German aufblähen and aufblasen (“to blow up, inflate”), Swedish blåsa upp (“to blow up, inflate”), Icelandic blása upp (“to blow up, inflate”), Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐌱𐌻𐌴𐍃𐌰𐌽 (ufblēsan, “to blow or puff up”).

cog

(intransitive, cycling) To succumb to oxygen debt and lose the ability to maintain pace in a race.


yorker

Possibly from 18th- and 19th-century slang phrase "to pull Yorkshire on a person", meaning to trick or deceive them. Compare come Yorkshire over.

(cricket) A ball bowled so as to bounce at or near the batsman's popping crease.


wagon wheel

(cricket) A graphical representation of the cricket field, with lines showing the trajectories of the scoring balls hit by a batsman; singles, fours and sixes are shown in different colours.


wicketkeeper

wicketkeepers (plural)
wicket-keeper (alternative)
wickie (alternative)

England's wicket-keeper in the 50s, he was fearless about standing on the stumps to fastish bowlers[.]

1990, Ashes: Battles and Bellylaughs, Byron Bay: Swan Publishing, page 207:

The fielder clad in armour who squats behind the batsman should be respected as a specialist and not treated as a dabbler. The wicketkeeper controls the mood around the pitch. His gloves hold most of the catches, his voice accompanies every appeal. He is the factory foreman, responsible for every ball.

2011, Shehan Karunatilaka, Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew, Jonathan Cape, page 210:

(cricket) A player who stands behind the batsman’s wicket ready to catch the ball, or to stump the batsman.

tautopenga

A player positioned behind the batsman ready to catch the ball, or to the batsman.


wicket-keeping gloves

(cricket) protective gloves worn by a wicket keeper to cushion the hands when repeatedly catching balls


wicket maiden

(cricket) A maiden over in which a bowler gets a batsman out.


with the spin

(cricket) hitting the ball in the same direction that it is spinning off the pitch


wrist spin

(cricket) A style of bowling in which the bowler spins the ball by releasing it from the back of the hand, running his/her fingers down the side of the ball as it is released.


wrist spinner

(cricket) A bowler who specializes in wrist spin


finger spinner

(cricket) A bowler who specializes in finger spin


wrong 'un

wrong 'uns (plural)
wrong'un (alternative)

(horse-racing) A horse deliberately held back in order to lose a race.


schoolgirl

en-verb

schoolgirl (third-person singular simple present schoolgirls, present participle schoolgirling, simple past and past participle schoolgirled)

schoolgirls (present singular third-person)
schoolgirling (participle present)
schoolgirled (participle past)
schoolgirled (past)

Victoria & Nidia beat Stratus & Kim in 3:45 when Victoria schoolgirled Kim.

2004, Wrestling Observer Newsletter, page 57:

She tags herself in only to get schoolgirled for the pin.

2017, James Dixon, Arnold Furious, Bob Dahlstrom, The Raw Files: 2001, page 121:

(transitive, wrestling, rare) To restrain in a schoolgirl pin.


windmill

From Middle English wyndmylne, wyndmylle, equivalent to wind + mill. Cognate with Scots wyndmyln, wyndmyl, Saterland Frisian Wíendmäälne, West Frisian wynmûne, Dutch windmolen, Afrikaans windmeul, Dutch Low Saxon windmölle (Achterhooks), wiendmeule (Drents, Veluws), German Low German Windmöhl, German Windmühle, Danish vindmølle, Norwegian Bokmål vindmølle, Norwegian Nynorsk vindmølle, vindmylne, Swedish vindmölla, Icelandic vindmylla.

(basketball) A dunk where the dunker swings his arm in a circular motion before throwing the ball through the hoop.

(baseball) A pitch where the pitcher swings his arm in a circular motion before throwing the ball.


cruiser

(cycling) A bicycle designed for low-speed, recreational use, usually characterized by balloon tires, upright seating, a single-speed drivetrain and expressive styling.


windscreen wiper

en-noun

windscreen wiper (plural windscreen wipers)

(bodybuilding) An exercise where the back is parallel to the ground (lying on it or hanging via the arms from a pull-up bar) and the legs are perpendicular to the floor so that the lower torso with the legs is rotated to target the Musculus obliquus externus abdominis, the Musculus quadratus lumborum and the Musculus rectus abdominis.


shaft

From Middle English schaft, from Old English sċeaft, from Proto-West Germanic *skaft, from Proto-Germanic *skaftaz. Cognate with Dutch schacht, German German Schaft, Swedish skaft.

Sarah, if you wear gloves your hands might not slip on your shaft and you can up your game, girl!

(lacrosse) The long narrow body of a lacrosse stick.


windshield wiper

windshield wiper (plural windshield wipers)

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


cruising

cruising (countable and uncountable, plural cruisings)

Coordinate term: blasting

(bodybuilding, slang) Reducing the dosage of PEDs instead of cycling them off.


poster

→ Burmese: ပိုစတာ (puica.ta)

→ Catalan: pòster

→ Catalan: pòster

→ Dutch: poster

→ Finnish: posteri

→ French: poster
→ Turkish: poster

→ German: Poster

→ Hindi: पोस्टर (posṭar)

→ Hungarian: poszter

→ Irish: póstaer

→ Italian: poster

→ Japanese: ポスター (posutā)

→ Korean: 포스터 (poseuteo)

→ Malay: poster

→ Manx: posteyr

→ Persian: پوستر (poster)

→ Polish: poster

→ Portuguese: pôster, póster (Portugal)

→ Romanian: poster

→ Russian: по́стер (póstɛr)

→ Spanish: póster

→ Swedish: poster

→ Tagalog: poster

→ Thai: โปสเตอร์ (bpóos-dtə̂ə))

→ Welsh: poster

We got three posters in the third and lost.

(ice hockey, slang) A shot that hits a goalpost instead of passing into the goal.

(basketball) A dunk over a defending player.


hulk

From Middle English hulk, hulke, holke (“hut; shed for hogs; type of ship; husk, pod, shell; large, clumsy person; a giant”) (probably reinforced by
From Middle Dutch hulk, huelc, and Middle Low German hulk, holk, hollek (“freighter, cargo ship, barge”)), from Old English hulc (“light ship; heavy, clumsy ship; cabin, hovel, hut”), from Proto-West Germanic *huluk, *hulik, from Proto-Germanic *hulukaz, *hulikaz (“something hollowed or dug out, cavity”), equivalent to hole/hollow + -ock. Cognate with Old High German holcho (“cargo or transport ship, barge”) (whence Middle High German holche, modern German Holk), Old Norse hólkr (“metal tube, ring”), dialectal Norwegian holk, hylke (“wooden barrel”), Middle English holken (“to dig out, gouge”).
Relation to Medieval Latin hulcus (“ship”) is uncertain, as Old English may have borrowed from Latin or vice versa, but the form holcas rather points to borrowing from Ancient Greek ὁλκάς (holkás, “ship being towed; cargo ship, ship used for trading, holcad”) (compare
Ancient Greek ἕλκω (hélkō, “to drag”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *selk- (“to draw, pull”)). See more at the Old English entry hulc.
The verb is derived from the noun.

cog

(figuratively) A big (and possibly clumsy) person.

(bodybuilding) An excessively muscled person.

A big (and possibly clumsy) person.
An excessively muscled person.


huddle

From Middle English *hudelen, alteration (due to hudels, hidels (“hiding place”), see hiddle) of *huderen, hoderen (“to cover; press together; huddle”), a frequentative form of Middle English huden, hiden (“to hide”), equivalent to hide + -le and/or hide + -er. Compare Low German huderken (“to brood; coddle; nurse; lull children to sleep”).

(American football) A brief meeting of all the players from one team that are on the field with the purpose of planning the following play.


huddle

en-verb

huddle (third-person singular simple present huddles, present participle huddling, simple past and past participle huddled)

huddles (present singular third-person)
huddling (participle present)
huddled (participle past)
huddled (past)

(intransitive, American football) To form a huddle.


unbeaten

From Middle English on bete, unbeten, unibeten; equivalent to un- + beaten; compare Old English ungebeitne (“unhewn”).

He scored an unbeaten century.


glance

glance (third-person singular simple present glances, present participle glancing, simple past and past participle glanced)

glances (present singular third-person)
glancing (participle present)
glanced (participle past)
glanced (past)
glance (infinitive)
glaunce (alternative)

The verb is derived from Late Middle English glenchen (“of a blow: to strike obliquely, glance; of a person: to turn quickly aside, dodge”) [and other forms], a blend of:
* Old French glacier, glachier, glaichier (“to slide; to slip”) (whence also Middle English glacen (“of a blow: to strike obliquely, glance; to glide”)), from glace (“frozen water, ice”) (from Vulgar Latin *glacia, from Latin glaciēs (“ice”), of uncertain origin, + -ier (suffix forming infinitives of first-conjugation verbs); and
* Old French guenchir, ganchir (“to avoid; to change direction; to elude, evade”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *wankijan (“to move aside; to stagger, sway; to wave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weng- (“to bend”).
The noun is derived from the verb.

nb...

glansen, glence, glench, glens, glanche, glauncen, glaunche

рикоширам

to strike and fly off in an oblique direction to dart aside

lyödä maila vinossa

(cricket) to hit a ball with a bat held in a slanted manner

Doncaster paid the price two minutes later when [Kevin] Doyle sent [Stephen] Hunt away down the left and his pinpoint cross was glanced in by Fletcher for his sixth goal of the season.

2011 January 18, “Wolverhampton 5 – 0 Doncaster”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2023-04-09:

(also figuratively) To cause (something) to move obliquely.

(ball games) To hit (a ball) lightly, causing it to move in another direction.

hipaista

(ball games) to hit (a ball) lightly, causing it to move in another direction

(cricket) To hit (a ball) with a bat held in a slanted manner; also, to play such a stroke against (the bowler).

lyödä maila vinossa

(cricket) to hit (a ball) with a bat held in a slanted manner; to play such a stroke against (the bowler)

(also figuratively) To strike and fly off in an oblique direction; to dart aside.

(cricket) To hit a ball with a bat held in a slanted manner.


glance

en-noun

glance (countable and uncountable, plural glances)

(cricket) A stroke in which the ball is hit with a bat held in a slanted manner.

lyönti maila vinossa

(cricket) stroke in which the ball is hit with a bat held in a slanted manner


limbo

Origin uncertain; possibly an alteration of limber (“bendable, flexible, pliant”) with the ending of the word respelled to represent a Caribbean English pronunciation.
It is unclear whether the verb is derived from the noun, or the noun is derived from the verb; the noun is attested slightly earlier.

Every limbo boy and girl / All around the limbo world / Gonna do the limbo rock / All around the limbo clock / Jack be limbo, Jack be quick / Jack go under limbo stick / All around the limbo clock / Hey, let's do the limbo rock

1962 October, Jan Sheldon [pseudonym; Kal Mann], Billy Strange (lyrics and music), “Limbo Rock”, in Limbo Party, performed by Chubby Checker:

At night steel-band and calypso shows liven up many of the island's larger hotels. If you're not up for watching limbos, bottle dancing, and fire eating, your best bet might be a leisurely dinner before settling down on chaise longues around your hotel's pool with a couple of fruity concoctions.

1992, Susan Farewell, “The United States Virgin Islands”, in Alan Tucker, editor, The Berlitz Travellers Guide to the Caribbean 1993, New York, N.Y., Oxford, Oxfordshire: Berlitz Publishing Company, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 140:

Limbo is a traditional popular dance contest that originated on the island of Trinidad. It got its name in the 1950s, but the limbo dates back to the 1800s in Trinidad. […] R&B singer-songwriter Chubby Checker, who popularized the Twist, also popularized the limbo dance and the phrase "How low can you go?" The world record for the lowest limbo dance is only 8.5 inches above the ground!

2016, Linda Parker Hamilton, “Games in the Outdoors”, in Camping Activity Book for Families; The Kid-tested Guide to Fun in the Outdoors, Guilford, Conn., Helena, Mont.: FalconGuides, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 122, column 2:

(dance, also attributively) A competitive dance originating from Trinidad and Tobago in which dancers take turns to cross under a horizontal bar while bending backwards. The bar is lowered with each round, and the competition is won by the dancer who passes under the bar in the lowest position without dislodging it or falling down.

林波舞

competitive dance in which dancers take turns to cross under a horizontal bar while bending backwards


limbo

en-verb

limbo (third-person singular simple present limbos, present participle limboing, simple past and past participle limboed)

limbos (present singular third-person)
limboing (participle present)
limboed (participle past)
limboed (past)

Steve Becker was rolling around with the other skaters at the Pismo Beach, Calif. roller rink one day when it was announced that there would be a limbo contest. […] Steve had his friends set the bar lower and lower while he got flatter and flatter, until finally, at just over a foot and almost spread-eagled, he reached his limboing limit.

1967 November 24, “Miscellany: Stoop to Conquer”, in George P. Hunt, editor, Life, volume 63, number 21, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 124:

The race begins at Alyeska Resort with an alpine skiing leg. It then proceeds through a downhill sprint, an in-line skate, a mountain bike ride, a 5K run, a wheelchair obstacle course and, if all that wasn't enough, a three-legged race in which participants chug a beer or soda before limboing under the tape.

1993 May–June, Kathleen Ring, “Coming Attractions”, in Snow Country: The Year-round Magazine of Skiing, Mountain Sports & Living, volume 6, number 3, Trumbull, Conn.: NYT Sports/Leisure Magazines, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 68, column 3:

After each player goes under once, the bar is lowered about an inch. Players keep limboing under the limbo stick as it gets lower and lower. If you touch the stick with any part of your body, you're out. The last person left is the winner.

2016, Linda Parker Hamilton, “Games in the Outdoors”, in Camping Activity Book for Families; The Kid-tested Guide to Fun in the Outdoors, Guilford, Conn., Helena, Mont.: FalconGuides, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 122:

Anyway, one year we had a party in our unfinished basement. All I remember about it is that we limboed on bare concrete. Good times!

2020 January 28, Giselle Renarde, “Limbo Rock (Chubby Checker)”, in Play It on My Radio: A Diary in Music, [Los Gatos, Calif.]: [Smashwords], published 2021, →ISBN, page 171:

(dance) To dance the limbo (etymology 2, noun sense 1).


bowling

→ Portuguese: bólingue

(cricket) The action of propelling the ball towards the batsman.

गोलंदाजी

(cricket) propelling the ball towards the batsman


bench-warmer

(sports, colloquial) A player who rarely or never gets to play in the games or matches, and is most often a substitute.


unconscious

en-adj

unconscious (comparative more unconscious, superlative most unconscious)

more unconscious (comparative)
most unconscious (superlative)

/ˌʌnˈkɒnʃəs/

/ˌʌnˈkɑnʃəs/

Sam is unconscious, filling it, drilling it from every conceivable angle. Lem is awful and Cooper seems confused. Josh shoots too often.

1998, Charles Rosen, The Cockroach Basketball League, page 144:

"I was unconscious," the basketball player gushes. "It seemed like everything I threw up toward the basket went straight in."

1999, Joseph Leininger, Terry Whalin, Lessons from the Pit: A Successful Veteran of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, page 10:

Someone who has reeled off a string of baskets will say, "I was unconscious," as if he were following the Zen injunction to be mindful while suspending thought.

2002, Alexander Wolff, Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure, page 292:

(sports) engaged in skilled performance without conscious control.


impost

Borrowed from Middle French impost, itself borrowed or adapted from Latin impōsitus, past participle of impōnō (“I impose”).

(horse racing, slang) The weight that must be carried by a horse in a race; the handicap.


racket

rackets (plural)
racquet (alternative)
racketeering (alternative)

From Middle English raket, of uncertain origin.
Possibly cognate with Middle French rachette, requette (“palm of the hand”). From Arabic رَاحَةْ اَلْيَد (rāḥat al-yad, “palm of the hand”).
Alternatively, the term might be derived from Dutch raketsen instead, from Middle French rachasser (“to strike (the ball) back”).

unc

uncertain origin

der

رَاحَةْ اَلْيَد

Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house ; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something ; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.

1922, Michael Arlen, “3/19/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:

(countable, sports) An implement with a handle connected to a round frame strung with wire, sinew, or plastic cords, and used to hit a ball, such as in tennis or a shuttlecock in badminton.


boarder

non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger

Someone who takes part in a boardsport, such as surfing or snowboarding.


boarding

en-noun

boarding (countable and uncountable, plural boardings)

(ice hockey) A penalty called for pushing into the boards.

càrrega contra la tanca

ice hockey: penalty called for pushing into the boards


intercept

en-verb

intercept (third-person singular simple present intercepts, present participle intercepting, simple past and past participle intercepted)

intercepts (present singular third-person)
intercepting (participle present)
intercepted (participle past)
intercepted (past)

Borrowed from Latin interceptum, past participle of intercipiō.

(transitive, sports) To gain possession of (the ball) in a ball game.

(transitive, American football) Of a defensive player: to steal a pass thrown by the opposing team, gaining possession of the ball.


walker

→ Irish: válcaeir

→ Persian: واکر (vâker)

From Middle English walkere (“one who walks, traveller”), equivalent to walk + -er.

inh

(cricket) A batsman or batswoman who directly walks off the field when out without waiting for the umpire's decision.


kook

(surfing, kiteboarding, wakeboarding) A boardsport participant who lacks style or skill; a newbie who acts as if they are better at the sport than they are.


wrestler

From Middle English wrastlere, equivalent to wrestle + -er.

it isn't easy to avoid all the wrestler's holds.

2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 231c:


bridle

From Middle English bridel, from Old English brīdel, from Proto-West Germanic *brigdil, from Proto-Germanic *brigdilaz (“strap, rein”), equivalent to braid + -le.

[…] the horseman, who is the user of bridles and knows their use

1961, J. A. Philip, “Mimesis in the Sophistês”, in Proceedings and Transactions of the American Philological Association, 92, p. 457:

(equestrianism) The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.


supporter

From Middle English supporter, supportour, equivalent to support + -er.

More than 10,000 supporters attended the last match.

On February 14, Mr. S. F. Sanders observed two trainloads of football supporters from Bolton which were conveyed to Luton by Nos. 45710, Irresistible, and 45712, Victory, respectively.

1953 April, “Notes and News: Locomotive Notes: London Midland Region”, in Railway Magazine, page 285:

With the Stoke supporters jeering Ziv's every subsequent touch, the pantomime atmosphere created by the home crowd reached a crescendo when Ziv was shown a straight red shortly after the break in extraordinary circumstances.

2011 October 20, Michael da Silva, “Stoke 3 – 0 Macc Tel-Aviv”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 2016-03-07:

A person who gives support to someone or something.

(sports) Someone who is a fan of a certain sports team or sportsperson.


snuba

This isn’t scuba, or even snuba, but simply underwater walking!

2001, Christie Stilson, Maui and Lanaʻi, Ninth Edition, Prima, page 400

One raft will support two snuba-divers. ¶ […] Orientation for the snuba activity is usually about 30 min, followed by a 30-min undersea experience.

2008, Charles Hammersley, “Snuba”, in Michael Lück, editor, The Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments, CABI, →ISBN, page 439:

A fun alternative in the sea is a “snuba” tour, where snorkelers can go underwater tethered by a breathing tube to an air-supply float on the surface.

2010, Marcie and Rick Carroll, The Unofficial Guide to Hawaii, John Wiley and Sons, →ISBN, page 290:

(sports) A combination of snorkeling and scuba diving where the swimmer uses the fins, mask, and breathing apparatus commonly used in scuba diving, but the oxygen tanks usually strapped to the back are instead attached to floating rafts that remain on the water's surface.


tackle

en-noun

tackle (countable and uncountable, plural tackles)

From Middle English takel (“gear, apparatus”), from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German takel (“ship's rigging”), perhaps related to Middle Dutch taken (“to grasp, seize”). Akin to Danish takkel (“tackle”), Swedish tackel (“tackle”). More at take.

der

(sports, countable) A play where a player attempts to take control over the ball from an opponent, as in rugby or football.

шпагат

sports: attempt to take control over the ball

(rugby, American football, countable) A play where a defender brings the ball carrier to the ground.

placatge

American football, rugby: play where a defender brings the ball carrier to the ground

(American football) An offensive line position between a guard and an end: offensive tackle; a person playing that position.

hyökkäävä linjamies

American football: person playing offensive tackle

(American football) A defensive position between two defensive ends: defensive tackle; a person playing that position.

puolustava linjamies

American football: person playing defensive tackle


tackle

en-verb

tackle (third-person singular simple present tackles, present participle tackling, simple past and past participle tackled)

tackles (present singular third-person)
tackling (participle present)
tackled (participle past)
tackled (past)

(sports) To attempt to take away a ball.

(rugby, American football) To bring a ball carrier to the ground.

placar

rugby, American football: to bring a ball carrier to the ground


vaulting horse

(gymnastics) An apparatus with an upholstered body but no pommels; since about 2000 replaced with vault, also called vaulting table.


trot

From Middle English trotten, from Old French trotter, troter (“to go, trot”), from Medieval Latin *trottō, *trotō (“to go”), from Frankish *trottōn (“to go, run”), from Proto-Germanic *trudōną, *trudaną, *tradjaną (“to go, step, tread”), from Proto-Indo-European *dreh₂- (“to run, escape”). Cognate with Old High German trottōn (“to run”), Modern German trotten (“to trot, plod”), Gothic 𐍄𐍂𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽 (trudan, “to tread”), Old Norse troða (“to walk, tread”), Old English tredan (“to step, tread”). Doublet of tread.


batting glove

(cricket) Each of a pair of protective gloves worn by a batsman to prevent damage to the fingers and hands


inswing

(cricket) The swing of a ball through the air in a direction towards the batsman.


inswing

(cricket) Describing a bowler who uses inswing in the ball's flight.


ICC

International Cricket Council
w:International Cricket Council

(cricket) Initialism of International Cricket Council.


International Cricket Council

the International Cricket Council (canonical)
ICC (abbreviation)

(cricket) the governing body that organizes world cricket


jitterbug

desctree

Japanese: ジルバ (jiruba)
Chinese: 吉魯巴／吉鲁巴 (jílǔbā)

/ˈd͡ʒɪtə(ɹ)bʌɡ/

From jitter + bug, after the 1934 Cab Calloway song Jitter Bug.

(dance) An uptempo jazz or swing dance which embellishes on the two-step pattern and frequently incorporates acrobatic style swing steps.