bloodbath

/ˈblʌdˌbɑːθ/

From blood + bath, the latter used referring to a metaphorical deluge. Compare West Frisian bloedbad (“bloodbath”), Dutch bloedbad (“bloodbath”), German Blutbad (“bloodbath”), Danish blodbad (“bloodbath”), Norwegian Bokmål blodbad (“bloodbath”), Swedish blodbad (“bloodbath”), Icelandic blóðbad (“bloodbath”).

Although the Hampden Park blood bath of '94 caused Yale and Harvard to break off football relations for the next two years, they kept close watch on each other.

1951, Tim Cohane, “Be Each, Pray God, a Gentlemen!”, in The Yale Football Story, New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, page 93:

(sports) An aggressive or very violent contest or confrontation.


jaffa

From Jaffa, an ancient port city in what is now Israel from which the oranges were exported. The sense "impotent male" is a reference to being "seedless"; see seed.
The cricketing sense, of a 'sweet ball' (from the bowler's perspective), is a metaphor further reinforced in Australian English where Jaffa is also a trademark for a popular lolly that is red and round.

(cricket) A ball that is very difficult for the batsman to hit because it moves erratically either through the air or off the pitch


all-rounder

From earlier all-round (“versatile”), sense “versatile person” from 1875.

(cricket) A player who is skilled in both batting and bowling.

yleispelaaja

(cricket) player skilled in both batting and bowling


take on

en-verb

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

takes on (present singular third-person)
taking on (participle present)
took on (past)
taken on (participle past)

He drifted past four Palace players and took on two more before crossing to the far post, where Fellaini touched on for Mata to score. It was a momentum-shifting moment.

2016 May 22, Phil McNulty, “Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United”, in BBC:

(soccer) To (attempt to) dribble round (an opposition player).


T

en-noun

T (countable and uncountable, plural Ts)

(sports) Abbreviation of ties (statistic).


chain gang

(cycling) A group of cyclists riding in a close-knit formation akin to a road race, normally for the purposes of training.

ryhmäajo

a group of cyclists riding in a close-knit formation


caboose

From French cambuse, from Middle Dutch kabuys, kabuis (Modern Dutch kombuis (“galley; kitchen”)). Cognate with Swedish kabyss.

(slang, sports) The person or team in last place.

peränpitäjä

sports: person or team in the last place


U

An abbreviation of a word or term beginning with the letter U. Adjective sense 1 (“characteristic of the upper classes”) was coined by British linguist Alan S. C. Ross (1907–1980) in a 1954 article, and popularized by the English journalist and writer Nancy Mitford (1904–1973).

In 1992 Susan Lockhart was Captain of the England U16 Hockey Squad.

2013, Pam Mansell, The Girls of Southend High School 1913-2013: A Century for Women:


touch base

en-verb

touch base (third-person singular simple present touches base, present participle touching base, simple past and past participle touched base)

touches base (present singular third-person)
touching base (participle present)
touched base (participle past)
touched base (past)

(baseball) To touch a base, usually with a foot but sometimes with a hand.


K

Abbreviations.
# (stenoscript) Abbreviation of counter, prefix counter-, sequence contr.

ng

prefix <i class="Latn mention" lang="en">counter-</i>, sequence contr.

(baseball) Abbreviation of strikeout. On a baseball scorecard, a frontwards K signifies striking out while swinging the bat, while a backwards K signifies striking out while looking.


purse seine

(fishing) A fishing seine consisting of a purse cable which acts as a draw string for the bottom of the net allowing entire schools of fish to be enclosed and brought up.


M

en-noun

M (countable and uncountable, plural Ms)

(cricket, in batting figures) the number of minutes a player spent at the crease

(cricket, in bowling figures) the number of maiden overs bowled


W

Abbreviations of various words beginning with W.

(sports) Abbreviation of wins (statistic).


meg

en-verb

meg (third-person singular simple present megs, present participle megging, simple past and past participle megged)

megs (present singular third-person)
megging (participle present)
megged (participle past)
megged (past)

(colloquial, soccer, transitive) To nutmeg an opponent.


tetrathlon

/təˈtɹæθlɒn/

(sports) A contest with four successive events, usually showjumping, swimming, running and pistol shooting.


quadrathlon

(sports) A contest involving four successive events, usually swimming, kayaking, cycling, and running.


quincunx

en-noun

quincunx (plural quincunxes or quincunces)

(historical, numismatics) A bronze coin minted during the Roman Republic, valued at five-twelfths of an as.


golden goal

(soccer) The first goal scored during extra time, giving victory to the scoring side if sudden death is in effect.


ER

(US sports) Abbreviation of Erie (“Erie, Pennsylvania, USA”).


ER

ER (countable and uncountable, plural ERs)


extra time

(sports, UK) An additional period played at the end of a game if the score is tied after the standard allocation of time.


tip off

en-verb

tip off (third-person singular simple present tips off, present participle tipping off, simple past and past participle tipped off)

tips off (present singular third-person)
tipping off (participle present)
tipped off (participle past)
tipped off (past)

(basketball) To put the ball in play by throwing it up between two opponents.

The game tips off in an hour, so hurry back!


no-no

must

antonym(s) of “something forbidden, ...”

no no

often found in texts without the hyphen.

He threw two no-nos in his career.

(baseball, colloquial) A no-hitter; a game in which no batter on one of the teams got a hit.


Bengal

Borrowed from Portuguese Bengala, from Classical Persian بَنْگَالَه (bangāla), from Middle Bengali বাঙ্গালা (baṅgala), said to be from the Vanga Kingdom, of uncertain ultimate origin. Vangalam has been attested in medieval South India. Doublet of Bangla.

Jones became a Bengal in a trade for Smith.

(American football) A player on the team The Cincinnati Bengals.


hand off

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

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

(American football) to pass (the ball) to a teammate


silver goal

(soccer) the first goal scored during the first half of extra time; giving victory to the scoring side if this rule is in effect


gatherer

From Middle English gaderere, gaderare, equivalent to gather + -er.

(glassblowing) A worker who collects molten glass on the end of a rod preparatory to blowing.


snapshot

Yet Revell misjudged his promising position in the area to put his point-blank snapshot wide from only six yards out.

2011 March 2, Chris Whyatt, “Arsenal 5 - 0 Leyton Orient”, in BBC:

(soccer) A quick, unplanned or unexpected shot.


potty

en-adj

potty (comparative pottier, superlative pottiest)

pottier (comparative)
pottiest (superlative)

The Eastbourne Green is by no means a " potty " one, and happily belies its appearance.

1890, Golf...: A Weekly Record of "ye Royal and Auncient" Game:

"A potty little nine-hole affair at a hydro in the Midlands. My cousins stay there. Always will. Not but what the fourth and the seventh holes take some doing. You could manage it, though," he said encouragingly.

1909, Rudyard Kipling, The House Surgeon:


DD

en-noun

DD (countable and uncountable, plural DDs)

(sports) Initialism of degree of difficulty.


run down

en-verb

run down (third-person singular simple present runs down, present participle running down, simple past ran down, past participle run down)

runs down (present singular third-person)
running down (participle present)
ran down (past)
run down (participle past)

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

to run down a stag

(hunting) To chase till the object pursued is captured or exhausted.

загнать

to chase till the object pursued is captured or exhausted


Q

en-noun

Q (countable and uncountable, plural Qs)


GP

GP (countable and uncountable, plural GPs or GP)


GP

(sports, motor) Initialism of Grand Prix.


breakaway

2016, Scott Feschuk, "Counting down the most annoying in video review, by sport," sportsnet.ca, 10 July, 2016, http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/counting-annoying-video-review-sport/
In a league starved for scoring, the challenge ensures that some super-sweet breakaway goals will be overturned because a dude was three microns offside.

(ice hockey) Occurring during or as a result of a breakaway (see Noun)


breakaway

2015, Eric MacKenzie, "Canucks fall 2-1 to Oilers in OT," vancouver24hrs.ca, 18 October, 2015, https://web.archive.org/web/20151020145050/http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2015/10/19/canucks-fall-2-1-to-oilers-in-ot
With the game tied 1-1 early in the third, Henrik got free on a breakaway and was stopped by Oilers goalie Anders Nilsson […]

(ice hockey) A situation in the game where one or more players of a team attack towards the goal of the other team without having any defenders in front of them.

2011, Colleen Aycock and Mark Scott (eds.), The First Black Boxing Champions: Essays on Fighters of the 1800s to the 1920s, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., Appendix: The Great Fights, George Dixon vs. Jack Skelly (September 6, 1892), p. 262,
The gong sounded almost immediately after the breakaway.

(boxing) The act of getting away from one's opponent; the separation of the boxers after a spell of infighting.


cassette

(photography) A lightproof container for photographic film.

(cycling) A set of sprockets mounted onto a splined shaft on the freehub.


blob

From Middle English *blob (“attested in blobby”). Possibly onomatopoeic, similarly to bleb and blubber.

inh

attested in <i class="Latn mention" lang="enm">blobby</i>

A gentleman named W. Shakespeare scored a blob in the Worcestershire v. Lancashire match. We understand that he got out because the ball pitched on a "damned spot."


bicycle kick

Yaya Toure sent over a hopeful cross-field pass that Warnock attempted to clear with a bicycle kick, only to calamitously set Johnson up for a low finish past Given.

2011 October 15, David Ornstein, “Man City 4 - 1 Aston Villa”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer) A kick in which the kicker leans backwards and kicks the ball back over his head.

bicicleta

not in dictionaries, but a more common spelling in practice


champagne

en-noun

champagne (countable and uncountable, plural champagnes)

Borrowed from French champagne (“sparkling wine from the Champagne region”), from Champagne (“region and former province of France”), from Late Latin campānia (in full Campānia Rēmēnsis), from campāneus (“of or pertaining to the fields”), from Latin campus (“level ground; field, plain”), from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂emp- (“to bend, curve”). The English word is a doublet of campagna (“flat stretch of countryside”) (dated), campaign, and campania.

cava

Spanish sparkling white wine made with the méthode champenoise

crémant

French sparkling wine that isn't from the Champagne region

prosecco

Italian sparkling white wine made by dual fermentation method in vats

spumante

Italian sparkling wine, sometimes made with the méthode champenoise

Alternative forms: champaine, champain

Coordinate term: terrace

Two rows of Vair, on a champagne gules an open crown or (both 2 and 3 for CRONBERG).

1892, John Woodward, George Burnett, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 489:

[…] on a champagne in base gules a wyvern, wings expanded or (for Vandalia); on the centre of the cross a quartered shield:[…]

1915, Guy Cadogan Rothery, A. B. C. of Heraldry, page 277:

(heraldry) (An ordinary occupying) the base of the shield, either flat-topped (like the chief at the top of the shield) or curved (as in a mount or trimount).


champagne

A Point Dexter parted, A Point Champagne, A Point plain, A Point in Point, […]

1726, John Guillim, The banner display'd: or, An abridgment of Guillim by S. Kent, page 31:

(heraldry) Alternative form of champaine


O

en-noun

O (countable and uncountable, plural Os)

(soccer) Someone associated with Leyton Orient Football Club, as a player, coach, supporter etc.


scoop

From Middle English scope, schoupe, a borrowing from Middle Dutch scoep, scuep, schope, schoepe (“bucket for bailing water”) and Middle Dutch schoppe, scoppe, schuppe ("a scoop, shovel"; > Modern Dutch schop (“spade”)), from Proto-Germanic *skuppǭ, *skuppijǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kep- (“to cut, to scrape, to hack”). Cognate with Old Frisian skuppe (“shovel”), Middle Low German schōpe (“scoop, shovel”), German Low German Schüppe, Schüpp (“shovel”), German Schüppe, Schippe (“shovel, spade”). Related to English shovel.

gloss

"a scoop, shovel"; > Modern Dutch <i class="Latn mention" lang="nl">schop</i> (“spade”)

cog

This brings the scoop into play as additional wetted surface and slows the board due to its fore-and-aft curvature

1965, John M. Kelly, Surf and Sea, page 116:

[T]he scoop or upward curvature in the front or nose section of a board is designed to keep the board from diving under the surface of the water when the surfer is catching a wave.

1977, Fred Hemmings, Surfing: Hawaii's Gift to the World of Sports, page 59:

(surfing) The raised end of a surfboard.


kicker

(American football) A placekicker: a player who kicks the football during free kicks, kick offs, field goals, and extra point tries.


aerophilately

(philately) The study or collection of airmail stamps, cancellations, etc.

aerofilatelia

the study or collection of airmail stamps


CU

(philately) in stamp descriptions, commercially used.


PD

en-noun

PD (countable and uncountable, plural PDs)

[…] Simon Jones, the former British Cycling endurance coach who is now Sky head of performance support and innovation, is to take over as performance director of Australian Cycling from April. […] “It’s been my ambition for some time to be a PD of a cycling programme and there aren’t many of them. I’ve been in Australia before so it was a natural decision.”

2017 February 23, William Fotheringham, “Simon Jones to leave Team Sky for top Australian Cycling role”, in The Guardian:

(sports) Initialism of performance director.


go-ahead

en-adj

go-ahead (comparative more go-ahead, superlative most go-ahead)

more go-ahead (comparative)
most go-ahead (superlative)

As a name for footwear, from the fact that one can't easily step backwards wearing them.

The pitcher gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning.

(sports, not comparable) Being a score which gives the scoring team or player the lead in the game.


heptathlon

en-noun

heptathlon (plural heptathlons or heptathla)

[Carolina Kluft] has won her last 19 heptathlons. Only the legendary Jackie Joyner-Kersee has scored higher.

2008 January 26, Frank Litsky, “Swedish Star Finds Motivation in Variety”, in The New York Times:

For now, Gray and her peers are able to compete for Olympic berths only in the seven-event heptathlon, while the decathlon is restricted to men.

2021 June 7, Shauna Farnell, “An Olympic Hurdle: Why Is the Decathlon Only for Men?”, in The New York Times:

(athletics) An athletic contest comprising seven events; contested mostly by women, for whom this is an Olympic sport.


HR

HR (countable and uncountable, plural HRs)

/eɪt͡ʃ ɑː(ɹ)/

(baseball) Initialism of home runs (in statistics).

(philately) Initialism of hinge remnant.


CTO

Audio (US)

cancelled to order
cancelled to order#English

(philately) Initialism of cancelled to order.


RSC

RSC (countable and uncountable, plural RSCs)

(boxing) Initialism of referee stops the contest.


RFC

(rugby) Initialism of rugby football club.


upsweep

(swimming) The upward motion of a swimmer's arm.


IQ

IQ (countable and uncountable, plural IQs)

(photography) Initialism of image quality.


KO

Initialism of knock out.
Initialism of kick-off.

(sports) Abbreviation of kick-off. - the time or manner of start of play


KO

en-verb

KO (third-person singular simple present KOs or KO's, present participle KOing or KO'ing, simple past and past participle KOed or KO'd)

KOs (present singular third-person)
KO's (present singular third-person)
KOing (participle present)
KO'ing (participle present)
KOed (participle past)
KOed (past)
KO'd (participle past)
KO'd (past)

Joe KO'd the opposing boxer.

(transitive, boxing) To knock someone out, to render someone unconscious.


bowman

From Middle English boweman, bouman, boughman, equivalent to bow + -man.

The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 4:29:

(archery) A man who uses a bow; an archer.


FC

en-noun

FC (countable and uncountable, plural FCs)

fielder's choice
fielder's choice#English

(baseball) Initialism of fielder's choice.


OT

OT (countable and uncountable, plural OTs)

offensive tackle
offensive tackle#English

(American football, Canadian football) Initialism of offensive tackle.


mogul

From dialectal German Mugel or from dialectal Norwegian mugje (“heap, mound”).

(skiing) A hump or bump on a skiing piste.


mogul

en-verb

mogul (third-person singular simple present moguls, present participle moguling, simple past and past participle moguled)

moguls (present singular third-person)
moguling (participle present)
moguled (participle past)
moguled (past)

(skiing) To ski over a course of humps or bumps.


buckle

The noun is derived from Middle English bokel (“spiked metal ring for fastening; ornamental clasp; boss of a shield; a shield, buckler; (figurative) means of defence”) [and other forms], from Old French boucle, bocle (“spiked metal ring for fastening; boss of a shield; a shield”) [and other forms], from Latin buccula (“cheek strap of a helmet; boss of a shield”) (from bucca (“soft part of the cheek”); further etymology uncertain, possibly of Celtic origin, or from Proto-Indo-European *bew-, *bʰew- (“to blow; to inflate; to swell”)) + -ula (diminutive suffix).
Noun sense 2 (“great conflict or struggle”) is probably derived from verb sense 1.2.1 (“to apply (oneself) to, or prepare (oneself) for, a task or work”).
The verb is derived from Middle English bokelen, bukelen (“to fasten (something) with a buckle or clasp; to fasten, make fast; to wrap; to arch the body”) [and other forms], from bokel (noun) (see above) + -en (suffix forming the infinitive of verbs).
In verb sense 1.2.1, the sense “to apply (oneself) to, or prepare (oneself) for, a task or work” was derived from the now obsolete sense “to equip (oneself) for a battle, etc.”, and originally alluded to armour being buckled on to the body.

nb...

bocle, bocul, bocule, bocull, boculle, bogil, bogyll, bokell, bokle, bokull, bokyll, bokylle, boucle, bukel, bukkel, bukle, bukyll, bukylle

إِبْزِيم

A metal clasp with a hinged tongue or a spike through which a belt or strap is passed and penetrated by the tongue or spike, in order to fasten the ends of the belt together or to secure the strap to something else.

(Canada, heraldry) An image of a clasp (sense 1) used as the brisure of an eighth daughter.

solki

image of a clasp used as the brisure of an eighth daughter


diver

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-diver.wav

(sports) A competitor in certain sports who is known to regularly imitate being fouled, with the purpose of getting his/her opponent penalised.


buddha

en-noun

buddha (countable and uncountable, plural buddhas)

I know how it feel to wake up fucked up
Pockets broke as hell, another rock to sell
People look at you like you's the user
Sellin' drugs to all the losers, mad buddha abuser

1994, The Notorious B.I.G. (lyrics and music), “Everyday Struggle”, in Ready to Die:

It ain't hard to tell, I excel, then prevail
The mic is contacted, I attract clientele
My mic check is life or death, breathin' a sniper's breath
I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through righteous steps

1994, Nas (lyrics and music), “It Ain't Hard to Tell”, in Illmatic:


echelon

Borrowed from French échelon (“rung; echelon”), from échelle (“ladder”) + -on (diminutive suffix). Échelle is derived from Latin scāla (“ladder”), from scandō (“to ascend, climb”), from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to jump”).

In an echelon, in which several cyclists are sitting in on one another, each rider takes his turn of about 200 meters at the front before dropping to the rear.

1972, Journal of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, volume 43, [Washington, D.C.]: American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, →OCLC, page 22, column 2:

Cyclists in an echelon take up more room in the traffic lane than they do when riding single or double file.

1989, Fred Matheny, Bicycling Magazine’s Complete Guide to Riding and Racing Techniques, Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale Press, →ISBN, page 99:

(cycling) A line of riders seeking maximum drafting in a crosswind, resulting in a diagonal line across the road.

terezín

(cycling) line of riders seeking maximum drafting in a crosswind


BCD

(cycling) Initialism of bolt circle diameter (a measurement of the various sizes of chainring).

bolt circle diameter

buoyancy control device
w:Buoyancy compensator (diving)

(underwater diving) Initialism of buoyancy control device.


barry

(heraldry) A field divided transversely into several equal parts, and consisting of two different tinctures interchangeably disposed.


barry

en-adj

barry (comparative more barry, superlative most barry)

more barry (comparative)
most barry (superlative)

Coordinate term: barruly

(heraldry, not comparable) Traversed (transversely) by bars.


defender

From Middle English defender, deffender, defendere, defendour, defendoure, partly from Anglo-Norman defendour, from Old French defendëor; partly from Middle English defenden + -ere, equivalent to defend + -er.

(sports) One of the players whose primary task is to prevent the opposition from scoring.


SDI

Scuba Diving International
w:Scuba Diving International

(sports) Initialism of Scuba Diving International.


walk the dog

en-verb

walk the dog (third-person singular simple present walks the dog, present participle walking the dog, simple past and past participle walked the dog)

walks the dog (present singular third-person)
walking the dog (participle present)
walked the dog (participle past)
walked the dog (past)

(idiomatic, lacrosse) To perform a trick where the ball rolls down the shaft and is caught in the head of the lacrosse stick.


GS

(skiing, snowboarding) Initialism of giant slalom.


HSV

en-noun

HSV (countable and uncountable, plural HSVs)

BHV

bovine herpes virus or bovine herpesvirus

CeHV

cercopithecine herpes virus or cercopithecine herpesvirus

EHV

equine herpes virus or equine herpesvirus

FHV

feline herpes virus or feline herpesvirus

KSHV

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus or Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus

MaHV

macropodid herpes virus or macropodid herpesvirus

OsHV

oyster herpes virus or oyster herpesvirus


heavyweight

(uncountable, boxing) The professional boxing weight class for boxers weighing more than 190 pounds; a boxer in that division.


gnar

en-adj

gnar (comparative more gnar, superlative most gnar)

more gnar (comparative)
most gnar (superlative)


MVP

Darryl, you've outdone Willie Mays. You got my vote for MVP.

1995, Richard Price, Spike Lee, 00:21:04, in Clockers:

Members of a basketball team happily reward the MVP with additional status is she sinks a winning shot at the buzzer.

2022, W. David Marx, chapter 1, in Status and Culture, Viking, →ISBN:

most valuable player
most valuable player#English

(sports) Initialism of most valuable player.


CAM

(US, historical, philately) Initialism of contract air mail (often followed by the route number, eg, CAM 21).


ODI

one-day international
one-day international#English

(cricket) Initialism of one-day international.


EP

(motor racing) Abbreviation of electric prix; ePrix.; from electric grand prix.


Mars

From Middle English Mars, from Latin Mārs (“god of war”), from older Latin (older than 75 BCE) Māvors.

4. Luna, a Mantle of Estate, Mars doubled Ermine, ouched Sol, garnished with Strings fastned thereunto fretways dependent, and tasselled of the same. [...] These Arms do belong to the Town of Beckbock in Wales. 5. Jupiter, a Mace of Majestry in Bend Sol. [...] 12. Venus, a Staff in Pale Sol, and thereupon a Cross Pattee, Luna surmounted off a Pall of the last, charged with 4. like Crosses fitched Saturn, edged and stringed as the second. This Coat belongs to the Archiepiscopal See of Canterbury, to whose place it appertains to Crown and Inaugurate the Kings of England.

1693, Richard Blome, The Art of Heraldry, in two parts ... second edition ..., pages 76-77:

George [...] Ist. Mars, three Lions passant guardant in Pale Sol, for the Arms of England, Impal'd with Scotland, i.e. Sol, a Lion rampant within a double Tressure counterflory Mars. 2d. Jupiter, three Fleurs de Lis Sol, for the Arms of France. 3d. Jupiter, an Irish Harp Sol, stringed Luna, for Ireland. 4th. Seme party per Pale, and per Chevron enarche, in the Ist Mars, two Lions passant guardant Sol, for Brunswick. In the 2d Partition Sol, semy of Hearts Mars, and a Lion rampant Jupiter, armed and langued of the First, for Luneburg. The base is Mars, a Horse currant Luna, over these last on an Inescocheon, Constantine's Crown. All within the Garter. Above the whole a Helmet suitable to his Majesty's Royal Jurisdiction, upon the same a rich Mantle of Cloth of Gold, doubled Ermine, a[…]

1718, Samuel Kent, The Grammar of Heraldry … Second Edition:

8. Tierce in Mantle, first Mars, two Lions passant-guardant in pale, Sol, for Brunswick; 2d Sol, Semi of Hearts proper, a Lion rampant Jupiter, for Lunenburgh; 3d, ente en Point, Mars, an Horse currant Luna, for Saxony. Note, these Ensigns (which are the paternal Coat of his Majesty King George) I have added as an Example, to shew the Form of what foreign Heralds term Tierce in Mantle, ente en Pointe, &c. […]

1735, Francis Nichols, The Irish Compendium … vol. III of the British Compendium, second edition, page 80:

ARMS. QUARTERLY, in the first grand Quarter Mars, three Lions passant-guardant in Pale, Sol; the Imperial Ensigns of England, impaled with the Royal Arms of Scotland, which are Sol, a Lion rampant within a double Tressure flower'd and counterflower'd with Fleurs-de-lis, Mars. The second Quarter is the Royal Arms of France, viz. Jupiter, three Fleurs-de-lis, Sol. The third, the Ensign of Ireland, which is, Jupiter, an Harp Sol, stringed Luna.

1737, Benjamin Martin, Bibliotheca Technologica: Or, a Philological Library, page 631:

(heraldry, rare) Gules (red), in the postmedieval practice of blazoning the tinctures of certain sovereigns' (especially British monarchs') coats as planets.


OB

en-noun

OB (countable and uncountable, plural OBs)


IRS

instant replay system
instant replay system#English

(basketball) Initialism of instant replay system.


DP

DP (countable and uncountable, plural DPs)

(baseball, softball) Initialism of double play.

Daytona prototype
Daytona prototype#English

(motor racing) Abbreviation of Daytona prototype.


GSW

Golden State Warriors
w:Golden State Warriors

(US, basketball) Initialism of Golden State Warriors.


wk

wk (countable and uncountable, plural wks)

(cricket) Abbreviation of wicket keeper.


TD

TD (countable and uncountable, plural TDs)

(American football, Canadian football) Abbreviation of touchdown.


LF

LF (countable and uncountable, plural LFs)

(baseball) Initialism of left field, Initialism of left fielder.

(optics, imaging, photography) Abbreviation of light field.


PL

(soccer, UK) Initialism of Premier League.


CR

CR (countable and uncountable, plural CRs)

(sports) Initialism of championship record or competition record.

(sports) Initialism of Championship Record.

(sports) Initialism of Competition Record.

(sports) Initialism of Commonwealth Record.


SON

socked on the nose
socked on the nose#English

(philately) Initialism of socked on the nose.


hacking

hacking (usually uncountable, plural hackings)

From Middle English hackynge, hakkynge, hacckinge, equivalent to hack + -ing.

(sports, chiefly American football, soccer, rugby) A kick in the shins.


reo

(Australia, surfing, informal) A re-entry (climbing a wave and then returning down its face).


tiller

From Middle English teler, from Anglo-Norman telier (“beam used in weaving”), from Medieval Latin telarium, from Latin tēla (“web”).

der

You can shoot in a tiller.

c. 1608–1610, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “Philaster: Or, Love Lies a Bleeding”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1679, →OCLC, Act II, scene ii:

(archery) The stock; a beam on a crossbow carved to fit the arrow, or the point of balance in a longbow.


MH

Loose mixed lot, with duplication, of the Portugal & Colonies first decimal definitive designs. Very mixed condition, from VF to junk, all "mint" in some form or another, some MNH, some MH, some MHH, some MNG, etc.

1995 February 12, R L Silverman, “For Sale: Portugal/Colonies "Ceres" 1912-1931”, in rec.collecting.stamps (Usenet):


takeaway

One drill to help you work on the long, low takeaway is to place a tee, a coin, or even another ball just beyond your back foot (whatever you choose should be slightly inside your toe to promote a slightly inside swing path).

2001, David Chmiel, Kevin Morris, Golf Past 50, page 40:

Make sure your hands and shoulders work together during the takeaway.

2005, Paul G. Schempp, Peter Mattsson, Golf: Steps To Success, page 55:

Tiger Woods, like other golfing greats, employs a smooth, evenly paced takeaway action.

2007, John Andrisani, Golfweek′s 101 Winning Golf Tips, unnumbered page:

(golf) The preliminary part of a golfer′s swing when the club is brought back away from the ball.


league table

(sports) A tabular display of the teams in some league in order of win percentage or points awarded, often also including number of matches played, won, lost, and drawn, goal difference, etc.


tosh

en-noun

tosh (countable and uncountable, plural toshes)

From 19th-century British thieves' cant, of uncertain origin. Perhaps from *tarsh, a metathetic alteration of trash; or from toss.
Sense of nonsense possibly influenced by tush (“nonsense! tsk tsk!”) attested from 15th century.

Among the recent neologisms of the cricket field is ‘tosh’, which means bowling of contemptible easiness.

(cricket, slang, derogatory, uncountable) Easy bowling


shadowgraph

en-verb

shadowgraph (third-person singular simple present shadowgraphs, present participle shadowgraphing, simple past and past participle shadowgraphed)

shadowgraphs (present singular third-person)
shadowgraphing (participle present)
shadowgraphed (participle past)
shadowgraphed (past)

(photography) To take a picture by means of X-ray, radium, or similar source of actinic radiation.


CAS

Court of Arbitration for Sport
w:Court of Arbitration for Sport

(law, sports) Initialism of Court of Arbitration for Sport.


CMS

Charlotte Motor Speedway
w:en:Charlotte Motor Speedway

(US, motor racing) Initialism of Charlotte Motor Speedway.


shadowbox

shadowbox (third-person singular simple present shadowboxes, present participle shadowboxing, simple past and past participle shadowboxed)

shadowboxes (present singular third-person)
shadowboxing (participle present)
shadowboxed (participle past)
shadowboxed (past)

He was shadowboxing to keep fit and practice before the big fight.

The fighter starts to shadowbox in front of them.

1975, Stephen Dunning, Literature for Adolescents, page 392:

McAfferty giggled, then stepped back and shadowboxed, jabbing the air with his little fists.

He shadowboxed harder than anyone I had seen before, and I soon developed that habit, too.

2018, Glen Sharp, Punching from the Shadows, page 117:

(boxing, martial arts) To practice moves without an actual opponent, often in front of a mirror.


ATP

Association of Tennis Professionals
w:Association of Tennis Professionals

(tennis) Initialism of Association of Tennis Professionals: the governing body of men's professional tennis, formed in 1972.


mulligan

en-noun

mulligan (countable and uncountable, plural mulligans)

Attested since the 1930s in the sense “chance to re-take a golf stroke”; probably from the name Mulligan, after a golfer who replayed a stroke. See Wikipedia for more information.

uusi käsi

card games: opportunity to draw a new initial hand

If you lose your drive in the water, take a mulligan and try again.

(golf) An unpenalized chance to re-take a stroke that went awry.

mulligan

golf: unpenalized chance to re-take a stroke


throughout

From Old English þurh ūt, equivalent to through + out. Compare German durchaus (“all the way, fully, absolutely”).

cog

Thus the VON VÖLCKER of Frankfurt bear : Argent, a rose gules, the field embrassé à senestre of the second. We should blazon this : Gules, a pile throughout issuing from the dexter flank, charged with a rose of the field.

1892, John Woodward, George Burnett, A Treatise on Heraldry, British and Foreign: With English and French Glossaries, page 90:

(heraldry) Of an ordinary such as a pile or chevron, or a partition per chevron, etc: extending to the edge of the field (or quarter, chief, etc).


DOF

(photography) Initialism of depth of field.


wildcard

German wildcard Sabine Lisicki conquered her nerves to defeat France's Marion Bartoli and take her amazing Wimbledon run into the semi-finals.

2011 June 28, Piers Newbery, “Wimbledon 2011: Sabine Lisicki beats Marion Bartoli”, in BBC Sport:

(sports, card games) Alternative form of wild card.

шабло́н

derived adjective may be used in phrases


NRL

National Rugby League
w:National Rugby League

(rugby) Initialism of National Rugby League, the main rugby league competition in Australia, including one New Zealand team.


TDI

Technical Diving International
w:Technical Diving International

(underwater diving) Initialism of Technical Diving International.


derrick

en-verb

derrick (third-person singular simple present derricks, present participle derricking, simple past and past participle derricked)

derricks (present singular third-person)
derricking (participle present)
derricked (participle past)
derricked (past)

Named after British executioner Thomas Derrick, who invented the framework arrangement commonly known by this name to aid in the conduct of executions. First use appears c. 1600 in the publication Ballad Death Earl Essex.

named-after

Stinky, who had batted a bit over .200 with scant power (two home runs in 66 games in 1933), was being derricked by Navin.

As a rule, when the twirler is derricked, it is because the members of the opposition are beginning to take undue familiarity with his offerings. But this is not always the reason.

2014, Addie Joss, Gary Mitchem, Addie Joss on Baseball, page 96:

(transitive, baseball, informal) To remove (a pitcher).


holder

→ Punjabi: ਹੌਲਡਰ (haulḍar)


deflect

en-verb

deflect (third-person singular simple present deflects, present participle deflecting, simple past and past participle deflected)

deflects (present singular third-person)
deflecting (participle present)
deflected (participle past)
deflected (past)

From Latin deflecto, from de- (“away”) + flecto (“to bend”).

The defender deflected the cross into his own net.

(transitive, ball games) To touch the ball, often unwittingly, after a shot or a sharp pass, thereby making it unpredictable for the other players.


puss

en-noun

puss (countable and uncountable, plural pusses)

Probably from Middle Low German pūs, pūskatte or Dutch poes (“puss, cat”, slang for “vulva”), ultimately from a common Germanic word for cat, perhaps ultimately imitative of a sound made to get its attention (compare Arabic بسة (bissa)).
Akin to West Frisian poes, Low German Puus, Puuskatte, Danish pus, dialectal Swedish kattepus, Norwegian pus.
Found also in several other European, North African and Asian languages; compare Romanian pisică, Persian پیشی (piši), Tamil பூசை (pūcai), Tagalog pusa
and Sardinian pisittu.

onomatopoeic

imitative

He then began to beat about, in the ſame Language, and in the ſame Manner, as if he had been beating for a Hare, and at laſt cried out, 'Soho! Puſs is not far off. Here's her Form, upon my Soul; I believe I may cry ſtole away.'

1749, Henry Fielding, “In which is seen a more moving Spectacle, than all the Blood in the Bodies of Thwackum and Blifil and of Twenty other such, is capable of producing”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book V, page 220:

'[…] It won't kill Puss any better for that.' / "'But, goodness gracious, what can that hare be made of?' I asked.

1881, P. Chr. Asbjörnsen [i.e., Peter Christen Asbjørnsen], “A Day with the Capercailzies”, in H. L. Brækstad, transl., Round the Yule Log. Norwegian Folk and Fairy Tales, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, →OCLC, page 77:


trotline

He scrubbed the deck every morning, spliced broken lines, climbed nimbly amongst the yards and ratlines to let out or take in sails, ran trotlines from the stern to augment their meals with fresh fish and served spells at the helm, although never on his own and never at night.

2022, Paul McAuley, Beyond the Burn Line, Gollancz, pages 162-163:

(fishing) A long fishing line with many shorter lines and hooks attached to it (usually suspended between buoys).


PGA

Professional Golfers Association
w:Professional Golfers Association

(golf) Initialism of Professional Golfers Association.


pullout

en-noun

pullout (countable and uncountable, plural pullouts)

Most pullouts, then and today, are done by simply angling or pivoting the board up and over the wave crest.

2005, Matt Warshaw, The Encyclopedia of Surfing, page 482:

[…] Machado, who turns what might seem like a handicap, that lankiness, to rubbery advantage in his sinuous carving and slackly cool pullouts.

2015, John Engle, Surfing in the Movies: A Critical History, page 131:

(surfing) The ending of a period of surfing by navigating the board into or over the back of a wave.


contra

Folk histories record that contras were gradually displaced by the introduction of the quadrille and the new couple dances.

2001, Ellen Koskoff, editor, The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: North America, Garland Publishing, page 232:

(obsolete, US, New England, dance) A country dance.


bean ball

(cricket) A ball that does not bounce and passes the batsman approximately at head height.


AST

AST (countable and uncountable, plural ASTs)

(sports) Initialism of average shot time. The average time taken by a player on each shot recorded using World Snooker scoring system.


dink

Imitative. Originally US. Attested since the 1930s.

But what I saw is she still has that sense of, ‘Okay, I need to hit a dink shot, I need to come with power now, I need to change up my serve not for a flat one, but a big kick.’

2018 February 12, Ava Wallace, “New mother Serena Williams returns to tennis, with a little rust and plenty to learn”, in Washington Post:

The forward passed to Fernandes and, as Pau López advanced, the Portuguese fashioned a sand‑wedge dink over the goalkeeper.

2021 April 29, Jamie Jackson, “Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes help Manchester United hit Roma for six”, in The Guardian:

(soccer) A light chip; a chipped pass or shot


dink

en-verb

dink (third-person singular simple present dinks, present participle dinking, simple past and past participle dinked)

dinks (present singular third-person)
dinking (participle present)
dinked (participle past)
dinked (past)

The forward dinked the ball over the goalkeeper to score his first goal of the season.

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

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

A dinked pass intended for De Bruyne from the impressive Oscar Bobb then deflected off Jackson and looped into the net early in the second half before Foden smashed in his second.

2024 January 7, Gary Rose, “Manchester City 5-0 Huddersfield Town”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer) To chip lightly, to play a light chip shot.


TCA

en-noun

TCA (countable and uncountable, plural TCAs)

chromatic aberration
chromatic aberration#English

(photography) Initialism of transversal chromatic aberration.


takeout

takeout (countable and uncountable, plural takeouts)

Japanese: テークアウト (tēkuauto)

(curling) A stone that hits another stone, removing it from play.


parry

From earlier parree, from Middle English *parree, *paree, from Old French paree (“preparation, ceremony, parade”), from Medieval Latin parāta (“preparation, parade”), from parāre (“to ward off, guard, defend, prepare, get ready”). More at pare. The English verb is taken from the noun. Doublet of parade.
Alternative etymology derives the verb parry from French parez, the imperative form of parer (“to fend off”), ultimately from the Medieval Latin parāre. See above.

der

(fencing) A simple defensive action designed to deflect an attack, performed with the forte of the blade.

пари́рање

in fencing, simple defensive action designed to deflect


superset

While some lifters insist that supersets must consist of consecutive exercises for the same bodypart, others would bet their weight belts that supersets involve opposing bodyparts.

2010, Eric Velazquez, “Power Pairings”, in Reps!, 17:83:

(weightlifting) Two or more different physical exercises performed back to back (i.e., without a period of rest between them). The exercises may employ the same muscle group, or opposing muscle groups.

superserie

two different physical exercises performed back-to-back


superset

en-verb

superset (third-person singular simple present supersets, present participle supersetting, simple past and past participle supersetted or superset)

supersets (present singular third-person)
supersetting (participle present)
supersetted (participle past)
supersetted (past)
superset (participle past)
superset (past)

(weightlifting, transitive) To perform (different physical exercises) back to back, without a period of rest between them.


pitcher

(baseball, softball) The player who delivers the ball to the batter.

питчър

the player who throws the ball to the batter


tennis court

(tennis) A firm, rectangular surface, marked with lines and having a net across the middle, where the game of tennis is played.


QB

Philip Rivers has left the Los Angeles Chargers so they took quarterback Justin Herbert at six, and late in the day Jordan Love was the fourth QB off the board, with the Green Bay Packers seemingly set to groom him to be Aaron Rodgers' long-term successor.

2020 April 24, “NFL draft 2020: Joe Burrow first pick for Cincinnati Bengals”, in BBC Sport:


IRB

(rugby, historical) Initialism of International Rugby Board, the name used by World Rugby, the worldwide governing body for rugby union, from 1998 to 2014.


IPC

International Paralympic Committee
w:International Paralympic Committee

(sports) Initialism of International Paralympic Committee.


sensitivity

en-noun

sensitivity (countable and uncountable, plural sensitivities)

чуллі́васць

the ability of an organism or organ to respond to external stimuli

(photography) The degree of response of a film etc. to light of a specified wavelength.

сензибилитет

(photography) degree of response of a film etc. to light of a specified wavelength


AO

(tennis) Abbreviation of Australian Open, a major tennis tournament, part of the Grand Slam


PW

PW (countable and uncountable, plural PWs)

(golf, countable) Initialism of pitching wedge.


slipped

Gu . on a bend ar. three trefoils slipped vert.

1864, Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, page 463:

Arg. in chief three trefoils slipped vert in base […]

1874, John Woody Papworth, An Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms Belonging to Families in Great Britain and Ireland, page 866:

(heraldry, of a plant) With part of the stalk displayed.


PP

PP (countable and uncountable, plural PPs)

promenade position
promenade position#English

(dance) Initialism of promenade position.


on the bench

(sports, of a member of a team in competition) Not playing in an ongoing game, either waiting to replace an active player or removed from competition by injury, penalty, etc.


supplement

From Latin supplementum (“that which is added to supply a shortage”), from supplere (“to provide something”).

der

Vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids must come from either the diet or supplements.

Menstruators are likelier to need an iron supplement than non-menstruators, whose diet alone is usually sufficient.

She wasn't getting enough iron, so they prescribed a supplement.

(nutrition, bodybuilding) A vitamin, herbal extract, or chemical compound ingested to meet dietary deficiencies or enhance muscular development; the dosage form that conveys or embodies it (e.g., tablet, capsule, pill, powder, beverage).

مُكَمِّل

vitamin, herbal extract, or chemical compound — see also dietary supplement


tennis racket

(tennis) A type of bat used to strike the ball in tennis; it has an oval frame with a taut interlaced network of strings


grenade

Borrowed from French grenade, from Old French grenate in the phrase pomme grenate (“pomegranate”), ultimately from Medieval Latin pomum (“apple”) + granatum (“having grains”). The -d developed in French under influence of Spanish granada. Doublet of garnet.

(heraldry) A charge similar to a fireball, and made of a disc-shaped bomb shell, but with only one set of flames at the top.


timekeeper

(sports) A person who records the time elapsed in a sporting event.

хронометрист

a person who records the time elapsed in a sporting event


armband

The biggest cheer of the night came shortly afterwards. St James’ Park finally found its voice to welcome back Jonás Gutiérrez into a Newcastle side for the first time since his diagnosis with testicular cancer 17 months ago. Hugged by his friend Coloccini, Gutiérrez was handed the captain’s armband after replacing Ryan Taylor at left-back and promptly collected a booking for fouling Adnan Januzaj – on for a frustrated Angel Di Maria.

2015 March 4, Louise Taylor, “(please specify the article title)”, in The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC:

(sports) A band worn around the arm of the captain of a team.

braçalet de capità

(swimming) One of a pair of inflatable plastic bands, normally worn on the upper arms, to help the wearer (often a child) float in water and learn to swim.

braçalet flotador

one of a pair of inflatable plastic bands to help the wearer float in water and learn to swim


slugfest

Originally US, from slug (“to hit very hard”) + -fest.

The game turned into a 15-9 slugfest.

In a World Series that has come to be defined by the unpredictable and unexpected, it was only fitting that one night, after a lights-out pitchers’ duel between the heretofore unremarkable Alex Wood and Charlie Morton, a slugfest would unfold that sent the Cy Young Award winners Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel to early exits.

2017 October 30, Billy Witz, “Astros Down the Dodgers in a Dramatic and Dizzying Slugfest”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(baseball, slang) A baseball game in which many runs are scored, especially by home runs.

The championship bout was a slugfest; both boxers were bloodied.

But while Roger Federer and Serena Williams were bludgeoning their opponents off the main court in a combined 126 minutes, the fans looking for a fantastic match stuffed into Armstrong Stadium next door to watch a mesmerizing slugfest between seventh-seeded Gaël Monfils of France and Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain.

2011 September 1, Lynn Zinser, “Amid Favorites’ Easy Knockouts, Ferrero Prevails in a Lengthy Slugfest”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Nadal is supposedly the alpha male in any slugfest. But Rosol's forehand shots were being sent towards the Majorcan at 93mph plus, and his was the fastest serve at 134mph.

2012 June 28, Jamie Jackson, “Wimbledon 2012: Lukas Rosol shocked by miracle win over Rafael Nadal”, in The Guardian:

(sports, slang) A game or match in which heavy blows are exchanged.

Lakers win slugfest over Clippers

There isn’t much reason to be optimistic about thoughtful dialogue in this general election. Both sides are girded for a negative, no-holds-barred slugfest.

2016 May 8, Albert R. Hunt, “Trump and Clinton Campaigns Gear Up for a Slugfest”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

The race descended into a brutal slugfest as the leading candidates, the author-turned-venture capitalist J.D. Vance, the former state treasurer Josh Mandel and a self-funded businessman, Mike Gibbons, entered the final weekend before Tuesday’s primaries accusing one another of being insufficiently right-wing or disloyal to the man in Mar-a-Lago.

2022 April 30, Jonathan Weisman, Trip Gabriel, “Once Soft-Spoken, Ohio Conservatives Embrace the Bombast”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

The possible reversal of fortunes comes as Ukraine is preparing to mount a broader counteroffensive, aiming for a dramatic breakthrough in a war that has settled into a grueling slugfest, with much blood spilled but little ground gained.

2023 May 17, Marc Santora, Tyler Hicks, “Gains Near Bakhmut Raise Ukraine’s Hopes of a Turning Tide”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(sports or figurative, slang) A tough, heated contest.


saucer pass

The winger's perfect saucer pass over the defenseman's stick and onto the center's tape led to the goal.

(ice hockey) A pass which stays flat through the air and lands flat, used to pass over an opponent's stick


cornerback

The cornerback tipped the ball away from the receiver.

(American football, Gaelic football, hurling) Any of the defensive players who are in position on each side farthest laterally from the ball and whose principal responsibility is to defend against passes.

Gaelic football; hurling; Gaelic football; hurling


cut fastball

His cut fastball tends to break bats.

(baseball) A pitch thrown with an offset grip and a moderate amount of added pressure by middle finger yielding a combination of backspin and some sidespin, resulting in motion to the left when thrown by a right handed pitcher with velocity only slightly diminished from that of a fastball


infielder

The infielder run in to field the bunt.

(cricket, baseball) A player who plays in the infield, which is the inner portion of the field.


leg break

(cricket) a normal ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, moving from leg to off (for a right-handed batsman)


bat-pad

(cricket) One of a pair of soft padded coverings that protect the legs of the person batting; a pad or batting pad.

(cricket, informal) A fielding position very close to the batsman, square on the leg side, designed to catch the ball from a misplaced defensive shot.

(cricket, informal) A fielder in this position.


left arm unorthodox

(cricket) A style of bowling used by a left-handed bowler in which wrist spin is used to move the ball from off to leg (for a right-handed batsman).


off cutter

(cricket) a ball bowled by a fast bowler who uses finger spin to move the ball from off to leg (for a right-handed batsman)


outfielder

The outfielder tracked down the long fly.

(cricket, baseball) A player that plays in the outfield, which is the outer portion of the field.


left arm orthodox

Two days before Australia’s first Test match in Pakistan since 1998, the centre-wicket practice at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium that had been teeming with players saw their numbers dissipate through that spring afternoon. For a time [Steve] Smith alternated batting with Usman Khawaja, facing Ashton Agar’s left-arm orthodox.

2022 March 3, Geoff Lemon, “Australia plunge into unknown as cricket’s resurrection in Pakistan continues”, in The Guardian:

(cricket) A style of bowling used by a left-handed bowler in which finger spin is used to move the ball from leg to off (for a right-handed batsman).


leg slip

(cricket) a fielding position on the leg side of the wicket-keeper, designed to catch a ball after it hits the bat and deflects by a small amount


terpsichorean

en-adj

terpsichorean (comparative more terpsichorean, superlative most terpsichorean)

more terpsichorean (comparative)
most terpsichorean (superlative)

From Terpsichore (“the Muse of dance in Greek mythology”).

The pair danced away with great agility and contentment,—first a waltz, then a galop, then a waltz again, until, in the second waltz, they were bumped by another couple who had joined the Terpsichorean choir.

1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 47, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

This was such an entirely new view of the Terpsichorean art as socially practised, that Mrs Lammle looked at her young friend in some astonishment

1865, Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend:

They're quiet enough in the morning hours,
They're quiet enough in the afternoon,
Reserving their terpsichorean powers
To dance by the light of the Jellicle Moon.

1939, T. S. Eliot, “The Song of the Jellicles”, in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats:

Oh, heaven forbid: I am one who delights in all manifestations of the Terpsichorean muse!


leg spin

(cricket) A style of bowling in which a (right-handed) bowler spins the ball such that, after bouncing, it moves from leg to off (for a right-handed batsman).


off spin

(cricket) A style of bowling in which a (right-handed) bowler spins the ball such that, after pitching, it moves from off to leg (for a right-handed batsman).


skittle alley

(bowling) The long narrow building in which skittles is played.


off side

(cricket) The side of the pitch away from the batsman's legs as he takes his stance at the wicket; the right side for a right-handed batsman.

(equestrianism) The right-hand side of a horse.


leg side

(cricket) The side of the pitch on the same side as the batsman's legs as he takes his stance at the wicket; the left side for a right-handed batsman.


leg cutter

(cricket) a ball bowled by a fast bowler who uses finger spin to move the ball from leg to off (for a right-handed batsman)


two-seam fastball

en-noun

two-seam fastball (plural two-seam fastballs)

His two-seamer has a heavy sink and keeps the infielders busy.

(baseball) A pitch thrown with a grip in the "horseshoe" orientation of the ball, with the rotation at a slight angle resulting in less Magnus effect as compared to a four-seam fastball since only two of the ball's seams cross the flight path; the pitch is delivered with a similar velocity as a four-seam fastball, but has a degree of sink.


four-seam fastball

four-seam fastball (plural four-seam fastballs)

(baseball) A backspin pitch thrown with a ball gripped in the direction to cause four of the seams of the ball to cross the flight path and released with roughly equal pressure by the index and middle fingers


line drive

The line drive went straight into the shortstop's glove.

(baseball, softball) A batted ball hit hard enough and low enough that it appears to travel in a relatively straight line.


penalty box

Both players got to cool their heels for five minutes in their respective penalty boxes after the fight.

(ice hockey) An enclosed bench where a player must remain for timed period (a penalty) that is assessed after an infraction.

banqueta d'expulsats

in ice hockey, enclosed bench for serving a penalty

At times, Swindon's penalty box resembled a pinball machine.

2000 March 12, Stuart Barnes, “Swindon stunner for Curbishley”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:


leg spinner

The leg-spinner had talked about new mystery balls, giving them names like shooters and zooters.

1994 December 25, The Canberra Times, Canberra, page 14, column 4:


app

That player has had ten apps this season.


knuckler

Fowler flung a stiff-wrist knuckler that hung in the air without spin before it took a sudden dip, but Roy scooped it up with the stick and lifted it twenty rows up into the center field stands.

1952, Bernard Malamud, chapter 2, in The Natural:


split-finger fastball

split-finger fastball (plural split-finger fastballs)

His strikeout pitch was his split-finger fastball.

(baseball) A moderate rotation speed backspin pitch thrown with a ball gripped between the index finger and middle finger; it has good velocity, may have a precessing spin, and sinks as it approaches the plate.


home run

Spanish: jonrón

The first baseman hit a home run to lead off the ninth.

(baseball) A four-base hit, allowing the batter to circle the bases and reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team.


leg glance

(cricket) A shot played by a batsman with a vertical bat, deflecting the ball behind the square leg area of the field.


leg glance

en-verb

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

leg glances (present singular third-person)
leg glancing (participle present)
leg glanced (participle past)
leg glanced (past)

(cricket) To play, or hit the ball with, a leg glance.


change-up

The pitcher had a devastating change-up.

(baseball) A pitch thrown with the arm motion of a fastball, but which travels at a much slower velocity because it is released without the fingers adding power to the delivery.


outfield

He hit a long fly ball to the outfield in the gap to left.

(baseball, softball) The region of the field between the infield and the outer fence.

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


outfield

outfield (third-person singular simple present outfields, present participle outfielding, simple past and past participle outfielded)

outfields (present singular third-person)
outfielding (participle present)
outfielded (participle past)
outfielded (past)

A special dispatch sent to The Cincinnati Enquirer on the game stated that the Buckeyes outfielded and outplayed the Grays at every point, and that had the Bucks run for first base instead of watching the ball after they hit it, they would have increased the score.

2005, William A. Cook, The Louisville Grays Scandal of 1877: The Taint of Gambling at the Dawn of the National League, McFarland, →ISBN, page 118:

(baseball, cricket) To perform better in defense (fielding).


skittle

skittle (third-person singular simple present skittles, present participle skittling, simple past and past participle skittled)

skittles (present singular third-person)
skittling (participle present)
skittled (participle past)
skittled (past)

Origin unknown. Perhaps of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse skutill (“bolt, harpoon”), related to skjóta (“to shoot”), but the OED dismisses this connection as conjecture.
The Old Norse word is related to Swedish and Danish skyttel (“shuttle, child's toy”). Compare also Old English sċytel (“a dart, bolt”). More at shuttle.

unk

unknown

(transitive, cricket) (sometimes with out) To rapidly bowl out a succession of batsmen.

(transitive, figuratively) To defeat easily.


chassé

(dance) A gliding movement in dance (especially ballet) with the same foot always leading.


strikeout

en-noun

strikeout (countable and uncountable, plural strikeouts)

The pitcher recorded seven strikeouts in the game.

(countable, baseball) An instance or the act of striking out.


curveball

He bit on a curveball in the dirt.

(baseball) A forespin pitch thrown by rotating the index and middle fingers down and resulting in motion down "curve"


curveball

en-verb

curveball (third-person singular simple present curveballs, present participle curveballing, simple past and past participle curveballed)

curveballs (present singular third-person)
curveballing (participle present)
curveballed (participle past)
curveballed (past)

Even though the haughty physics professors at the elite school ridiculed his declaration that he could make a baseball curve, Cummings just laughed it off and said, “I curveballed them to death,” according to Frederick Ivor-Campbell.

2006, William F. McNeil, The Evolution of Pitching in Major League Baseball, McFarland, →ISBN, page 21:

The news curveballed him. He'd been hamstrung and schizzed all the preceding weeks. He brooded in his den.

2009, James Ellroy, Blood's a Rover, Random House, →ISBN, page 566:


strike out

strike out (third-person singular simple present strikes out, present participle striking out, simple past struck out, past participle struck out or (somewhat archaic) stricken out)

strikes out (present singular third-person)
striking out (participle present)
struck out (past)
struck out (participle past)
stricken out (archaic participle past)

Jones struck out on a nasty slider.

The pitcher struck out Jones with a nasty slider.

(ergative, baseball, softball) Of a batter, to be retired after three strikes (missed swings, as opposed to any other way of becoming "out"); of a pitcher, to cause this to happen to the batter.

palaa

baseball: to be retired after three missed swings

polttaa

baseball: to cause a batter to be retired after three missed swings


knuckleball

Even the pitcher doesn't know where his knuckleball is going.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield is best known for his use of the knuckleball.

(baseball) A pitch thrown with the ball gripped on the fingertips and released with no rotation, which travels over an unpredictable path to the plate due to micro-turbulence in the air.


knuckleball

knuckleball (third-person singular simple present knuckleballs, present participle knuckleballing, simple past and past participle knuckleballed)

knuckleballs (present singular third-person)
knuckleballing (participle present)
knuckleballed (participle past)
knuckleballed (past)

Varitek did not start so Kevin Cash could catch the knuckleballing starter Tim Wakefield.

2008 April 16, The Associated Press, “Tigers Rally Again to Defeat the Twins”, in New York Times:

(intransitive, baseball) To pitch knuckleballs.


homer

The first baseman hit a homer to lead off the ninth.

Joe is such a homer that he would never boo the Hometown Hobos, even if they are in last place in the league.

(US, sports) A person who is extremely devoted to a favorite team.


homer

homer (third-person singular simple present homers, present participle homering, simple past and past participle homered)

homers (present singular third-person)
homering (participle present)
homered (participle past)
homered (past)

The Sultan of Swat homered 714 times.

(US, baseball) To hit a homer; to hit a home run.


sinker

Hook the sinker onto this loop.

Then the caplin moved off, and five minutes later there was no sound except the splash of the sinkers overside, the flapping of the cod, and the whack of the muckles as the men stunned them.

1897, Rudyard Kipling, Captains Courageous:

(fishing) A weight used in fishing to cause the line or net to sink.

His sinkers drew one ground ball after another.

split-finger fastball
split-finger fastball

(baseball) Any of several high speed pitches that have a downward motion near the plate; a two-seam fastball, a split-finger fastball, or a forkball.


floater

From float + -er (suffix forming agent nouns).

kelluja

person who physically floats in a gas or liquid

leijuri

(figurative) A person without a fixed or lasting affiliation, position, or role.

(sports) A player not affiliated with a team.

The floater is a high arcing shot that is commonly used to get the ball over taller defenders in the paint.

2014, Tarrence Garrison, Basketball Essentials: Learn, Improve, Dominate, [Scotts Valley, Calif.]: [CreateSpace], →ISBN:

A thing which physically floats in a gas or liquid.

(sports) A ball that moves lightly through the air, as if floating; specifically (basketball), an early layup taken by a player moving towards the rim where, upon release, the ball floats in the air over the top of a defender before dropping softly into the hoop.

floater

(basketball) early layup taken by a player moving towards the rim

(figurative) A thing which moves from place to place, as if floating.

(surfing) A manoeuvre in which a surfer transitions above the unbroken face of a wave on to the lip, or on top of the breaking section of the wave.


slider

From slide + -er.
The meaning "small hamburger" was originally used to describe onion-steamed small burgers at White Castle restaurants, formerly spelt "Slyder".
Regarding the senses about control devices or widgets: physical sliders (potentiometers serving as rheostats) predate virtual ones (elements in graphical user interfaces), and the virtual ones are so named because their concept is the abstraction of the physical ones; if more explanation on that topic is needed, it is available in the Wikipedia articles on skeuomorphs, icons, and the desktop metaphor.

The closer had a wicked slider that was almost unhittable.

(baseball) A pitch thrown with added pressure by middle and ring fingers yielding a combination of backspin and sidespin, resulting in a motion to the left when thrown by a right handed pitcher.

(cricket) A similar delivery in which the wrist and ring finger work to impart backspin to the ball.

(curling) A piece of Teflon or similar material attached to a curling shoe that allows the player to slide along the ice.

scivolante

(curling) a piece of teflon or similar material attached to a curling shoe

(skydiving) A rectangle of fabric that helps produce an orderly parachute deployment.


DL

en-noun

DL (countable and uncountable, plural DLs)


DL

en-verb

DL (third-person singular simple present DLs, present participle DLing, simple past and past participle DLed or DL'd)

DLs (present singular third-person)
DLing (participle present)
DLed (participle past)
DLed (past)
DL'd (participle past)
DL'd (past)

After 7 years of being in a rot league, I have learned that "day to day" in baseballese means "at least a week, maybe more, and maybe after the week, then we may DL him."

1996 June 3, Joe in MA [username], “Re: Jim Edmonds' return date?”, in rec.sport.baseball.fantasy (Usenet):

(baseball, transitive, informal) To place on the disabled list.


catcher

(baseball) The player that squats behind home plate and receives the pitches from the pitcher


highball

Japanese: ハイボール, ハイ

From high + ball, of the same railroad origins as lowball.

2014, EpicTV.com
Austrian all rounder Alex Luger climbs what he describes as a highball boulder problem and what most people would call a solo.

(climbing) A very high bouldering problem, often with a hard landing.


GAA

goals against average
goals against average

(sports) goals against average, a sports statistic


subminiature

Other Minolta cameras from $27 to $270, including subminiature, "snapshot," 35mm rangefinder and single lens reflex models...

1964 November, “Minolta Hi-matic 7”, in Sunset, page 136:

(photography) of photography equipment and techniques using a smaller frame than 35mm


liner

From line (noun) + -er (relational suffix) or -er (measurement suffix) (sense 5).

The liner glanced off the pitcher's foot.

обшивка

liner, lining: inside covering (i.e. a jacket liner)


procession

From Middle English processioun, borrowed from Old French pourciession, from Latin prōcessiō (“a marching forward, an advance, in Late Latin a religious procession”), from prōcēdere, past participle prōcessus (“to move forward, advance, proceed”); see proceed.

der

Before he closed and opened his eyes, the bails on the wicket behind Johnny Masih were shattered. That was the beginning of a procession. The second ball clean bowled the batsman. The third ball was a catch for the wicketkeeper.

2012, K. L. Mohana Varma, Cricket-Indo: The Story of an Indo-Pak One-Day Cricket Turf War, page 205:

Scotland moved nicely to 45 without loss before I took the first wicket and then it became a procession.

2015, Steve Dolman, Edwin Smith: A Life in Derbyshire Cricket, page 36:

(cricket) The rapid dismissal of a series of batsmen.


backsplash

en-noun

backsplash (countable and uncountable, plural backsplashes)

(rowing) The small splash of water that occurs when an oar enters the water to begin a stroke, just before the rower reaches the catch.


mawashi

From Japanese 廻し or 回し (mawashi), same meaning.

(sumo) The belt worn by rikishi during training and in competition


emulsion

Borrowed from French émulsion, from New Latin ēmulsiō, ēmulsiōnis, based on Latin ēmulgeō (“I milk out, extract”).

(photography) The coating of photosensitive silver halide grains in a thin gelatine layer on a photographic film.

emulzió

coating of photosensitive layer on a photographic film


luchador

luchador (plural luchadors or luchadores)

professional wrestling
professional wrestling

(professional wrestling) A Mexican professional wrestler, frequently (but not always) masked.


line and length

(cricket) The direction (line) and point at which a delivery hits the pitch (length) of a delivery considered as a whole, especially that of a group of a particular bowler's deliveries.


lofted drive

(cricket) A drive that sends the ball flying through the air, instead of along the ground, thus increasing the possibility of a catch.


light roller

The batting side may decide which of the two rollers to use - the heavy or the light roller.

2001, M.A. Pervez, A Dictionary of Cricket, page 67:

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


long hop

It was a long hop, which bounced high and was flat-batted straight to cover to leave the score at 246 for seven.

2010 July 23, “Pakistan strike early but Australia respond as Headingley loses power”, in The Guardian:

(cricket) a relatively slow ball that bounces short of the batsman and is thus relatively easy to hit


backstroke

(swimming) A stroke swum lying on one's back, while rotating both arms through the water as to propel the swimmer backwards.


long on

(cricket) a fielding position on the leg side, about 70° forward of square, designed to prevent runs from drives or to catch lofted drives


wind up

en-verb

wind up (third-person singular simple present winds up, present participle winding up, simple past and past participle wound up)

winds up (present singular third-person)
winding up (participle present)
wound up (participle past)
wound up (past)

snitches get stitches and wind up in ditches

Paige seemed to be winding up for a fastball but then switched it up.

(baseball, intransitive) To make the preparatory movements for a certain kind of pitch.


twin killing

By grounding to the shortstop, the twin killing ended the inning.


hot corner

en-noun

hot corner (countable and uncountable, plural hot corners)

Because many hard-hit balls are hit there

Jones plays the hot corner.

Jones plays hot corner.

(baseball, countable, uncountable, usually with "the") Third base.


triple play

There has only been one unassisted triple play recorded in the World Series.

(baseball) A defensive play in which three outs are recorded.

triple eliminació

(baseball) a play where three outs are recorded


long off

(cricket) a fielding position on the off side, about 70° forward of square, designed to prevent runs from drives or to catch lofted drives


double play

It was a 6-4-3 double play.

(baseball, softball) A defensive play in which two outs are recorded.


clinch

→ Czech: klinč

→ German: Clinch

→ French: clinch

→ Portuguese: clinche

→ Russian: клинч (klinč)

→ Serbo-Croatian: klȉnč

→ Polish: klincz

→ Swedish: klinch

(wrestling, combat sports) The act of one or both fighters holding onto the other to prevent being hit or engage in standup grappling.


maiden over

(cricket) An over in which no runs are scored.


cricket bat

(cricket) a bat, traditionally made from willow, used to play cricket


bullpen

After that hit, there is activity in the bullpen.

Now the bullpens are hidden away underneath the bleachers, out of sight and sound.

2017 July 5, Billy Witz, “Camaraderie of Wrigley Field Bullpens Is Tangled Amid the Ivy”, in The New York Times:

Even though the Phillies bullpen has been a strength, it may be shopping for a veteran capable of handling the ninth inning.

2024 May 7, Greg Jewett, “Bullpen report: Porter Hodge enters Cubs’ circle of trust, Mason Miller cools down and more”, in The New York Times:

(baseball) An enclosed area for pitchers to warm up in during a game.

ブルペン

baseball: enclosed area for pitchers to warm up in during a game

Their bullpen is worn out after yesterday's doubleheader where both games went 12 innings.

(baseball) The relief pitchers of a team collectively.

vaihtosyöttäjät

baseball: relief pitchers of a team collectively


maker's name

from the placement of the manufacturer's logo

(cricket) the front blade of a cricket bat


match referee

(cricket) an administrative official who decides on any penalties for bad conduct etc


medium pace

(cricket) describing a style of bowling, intermediate in speed between spin and pace, in which the bowler uses swing or seam to take wickets


middle stump

(cricket) the stump in the middle of the batsman's wicket


middle order

(cricket) the batsmen who bat in positions 5 to 7; often the poorer batsmen, the wicket-keeper and the bowlers who can bat best


mid on

(cricket) a fielding position, about 70° forward of square on the leg side, between midwicket and the bowler's wicket; a fielder at this position


midwicket

midwicket (countable and uncountable, plural midwickets)

(cricket) A fielding position, about 40° forward of square on the leg side, between square leg and mid on.


landlord

From Middle English londlord, landlorde, from Old English landhlāford, equivalent to land + lord. Cognate with Scots landlaird, Middle Low German lantlord (“homeowner, landlord”).

cog

the lurking presence of “The Landlord”

2004, Drew Kampion, publisher's blurb for, Stories from the Surf – The Lost Coast:

(surfing, slang, with "the") A shark, imagined as the owner of the surf to be avoided.


marksman

In what was a characteristic Bent display, he made only an occasional impact - but proved once again in front of England coach Fabio Capello that he is one of the most reliable marksmen in the domestic game.

2011 January 22, Phil McNulty, “Aston Villa 1 - 0 Man City”, in BBC:


mid off

(cricket) a fielding position, about 70° forward of square on the off side, between cover and the bowler's wicket


double switch

They did a double switch after the eighth so that Jones could bat second in the ninth.

(baseball) A replacement of two players simultaneously, typically so that a fielder can hit in the pitcher's spot in the batting order.


blown save

Our bullpen has too many blown saves.

(baseball) A failure to convert a save opportunity to a save.


empty base

They have to pitch to the slugger because there are no empty bases.

(baseball) A base without a runner on it.


Mankad

Named after the Indian cricketer Vinoo Mankad.

(cricket) A run out of the non-striker by the bowler before bowling the ball if the non-striker leaves their crease too early; thought by some to be unsporting behaviour, but is within the rules of the game.


Mankad

en-verb

Mankad (third-person singular simple present Mankads, present participle Mankading, simple past and past participle Mankaded)

Mankads (present singular third-person)
Mankading (participle present)
Mankaded (participle past)
Mankaded (past)

(cricket) To run a player out by this means.


intentional pass

en-noun

intentional pass (plural intentional passes)

Jones was issued an intentional pass in order to face Smith.


full count

Since the maximum number of balls before a walk is three, and the maximum number of strikes before a strikeout is two, neither number can increase without ending the at-bat.

Full count, two outs, bottom of the ninth, the bags are jammed, 2-2 tie…

(baseball) An at-bat with a count of three balls and two strikes.


double up

en-verb

double up (third-person singular simple present doubles up, present participle doubling up, simple past and past participle doubled up)

doubles up (present singular third-person)
doubling up (participle present)
doubled up (participle past)
doubled up (past)

Jones snared the liner and then stepped on the bag to double up the runner.

(baseball, transitive) To get the second out in a double play, typically referring to getting an out by beating a runner back to a base (often by throwing) after a fly ball has been caught


big fly

The first baseman hit a big fly to left.


fair ball

It's a... fair ball; it rolls into the corner; Jones is stretching for two; the throw — safe!

(baseball, softball) A ball which has been hit between the first base and third base lines


four-seamer

The pitcher had a blazing four-seamer.


foul ball

It's a foul ball, up four rows of seats.

(baseball) A batted ball that lands in foul territory.


free pass

Smith was issued a free pass after Jones' double.


sweet spot

He hit the ball with the sweet spot, resulting in a gapper.

The term sweet spot is used in describing that point or region of a tennis racket where the ball should be hit for optimum results. There are several definitions of this term, each one based on different physical phenomenon.

1981 September 5, H[oward] Brody, “Physics of the tennis racket II: The “sweet spot””, in American Journal of Physics, volume 49, number 9, →DOI, pages 816–810:

When you hit a shot and it really feels good, you claim that you have hit the sweet spot. But can this feeling be quantified? […] Do some rackets have a sweet spot that is sweeter than that of other rackets, or is the size of the sweet spot the only relevant consideration?

1987, Howard Brody, “The Sweet Spots of a Tennis Racket”, in Tennis Science for Tennis Players, Philadelphia, Pa.: University of Pennsylvania Press, →ISBN, page 23:

There are actually three sweet spots on a racquet's face. Each sweet spot measures a different physical characteristic of your racquet. The sweet spot that most of us think of is the place on the strings where the ball rebounds with the most power, or, technically, the post on the racquet with the maximum coefficient of restitution. The second sweet spot is where the least amount of shock is given to your hand and arm. This is known as the center of percussion. The third sweet spot is the node or place where the least amount of vibration occurs after the initial ball impact. Normally all three sweet spots do not occur in the same location.

1995, Ed[ward] Turner, [Brent] Woody Clouse, Winning Racquetball: Skills, Drills, and Strategies, Champaign, Ill., Windsor, Ont.: Human Kinetics, →ISBN, page 10:

The center of percussion also finds more exotic applications, like in tennis dynamics: the so-called sweet spot […] is a special impact point on the racket strings used to prevent jarring of the hand. It is defined either as a vibration node, or as the center of percussion, or as the point where the restitution coefficient […] is maximum and vibrations minimum[…].

1999, Bernard Brogliato, “Two Bodies Colliding”, in E[duardo] D[aniel] Sontag, M. Thoma, editors, Nonsmooth Mechanics: Models, Dynamics and Control (Communications and Control Engineering), 2nd edition, London, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, →ISBN, section 4.1.4 (The Percussion Center), page 116:

Most of us are familiar with the existence of a ‘sweet spot’ on a tennis racket or bat: the place where it is best to strike the ball. […] Physicists call this sweet spot the ‘centre of percussion’ and it occurs at a distance from the top of a cricket or baseball bat that is about two thirds of its total length.

2013, John D[avid] Barrow, “Cushioning the Blow”, in Mathletics: A Scientist Explains 100 Amazing Things about Sport, London: Vintage Books, →ISBN:

Club heads [of golf clubs] have weight distributions designed to optimize both launch angle of the ball and minimizing the effects of off-center shots that do not precisely impact the so-called sweet spot (the center of percussion).

2015, Thomas Jay Smith, Robert Henning, Michael G. Wade, Thomas Fisher, “Variability in Human Motor and Sport Performance”, in Variability in Human Performance, Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, →ISBN, section 2.1 (Introduction), page 31:

(sports) Any of several places on a bat, racquet, etc., with which to hit a ball, resulting in the latter rebounding with some optimal desirable effect, such as minimum vibration or maximum velocity.


heavy sink

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

His two-seamer has some heavy sink.

(baseball) The motion of a sharply diving sinker pitch.


third base

The runner reached third base with a stand-up triple.

(baseball) The base after second base in a counter-clockwise path around a baseball infield.


first base

en-noun

first base (countable and uncountable, plural first bases)

The runner took his lead off first base.

(singular only, baseball) The base after home plate in a counter-clockwise path around a baseball infield.


second base

The runner slid into second base with a double.

(baseball) The base opposite home plate in a baseball infield.


obstruct the field

en-verb

obstruct the field (third-person singular simple present obstructs the field, present participle obstructing the field, simple past and past participle obstructed the field)

obstructs the field (present singular third-person)
obstructing the field (participle present)
obstructed the field (participle past)
obstructed the field (past)

(cricket) To get out by deliberately obstructing a fielder in order to prevent him from making a catch or run out, or from gathering the ball (very rare).


new ball

(cricket) A cricket ball never previously used in a match; a replacement new cricket ball taken by the captain of the bowling side at certain specified times during an innings.

(tennis) Any of a set of replacement tennis balls issued at specified times in the professional game.


off break

(cricket) A normal ball bowled by a off spin bowler, moving from off to leg (for a right-handed batsman).


one-day international

en-noun

one-day International (plural one-day internationals)

one-day International (canonical)
one-day internationals (plural)

(cricket) a one-day match played between teams representing the Test nations; a similar match in a tournament such as the World Cup


number eleven

(cricket) The batsman who bats last; usually the worst batsman in the side.


intentional walk

intentional walk (plural intentional walks)

Jones was given an intentional walk in order to face Smith.

(baseball) The intentional pitching of four balls (bad pitches), or of a fourth ball, in order to give the batter a walk (for example, so as to avoid the risk of a home run).


intentional walk

en-verb

intentional walk (third-person singular simple present intentional walks, present participle intentional walking, simple past and past participle intentional walked)

intentional walks (present singular third-person)
intentional walking (participle present)
intentional walked (participle past)
intentional walked (past)

(baseball, nonstandard) To intentionally walk; to give a batter an intentional walk.


leg stump

(cricket) The stump on the leg side of the batsman's wicket.


one short

(cricket) The act of a batsman, running between the wickets, failing to ground himself or his bat behind the popping crease before turning for another run; the umpire's signal indicating this (the run does not count).


off stump

(cricket) The stump on the off side of the batsman's wicket.


no result

(cricket) The result of a one-day match in which a side fails to complete their innings, or to bat the minimum number of overs, because of bad weather.


one-day match

(cricket) a game of cricket played on one day; each side batting once


non-striker

(cricket) the batsman standing at the bowler's end of the pitch


one-day cricket

(cricket) A form of cricket, played on one day, in which each side bats only once. Each side's innings finishes when either their allotted number of overs has been completed, or all ten wickets have been lost.


open the face

open the face (third-person singular simple present opens the face, present participle opening the face, simple past and past participle opened the face)

opens the face (present singular third-person)
opening the face (participle present)
opened the face (participle past)
opened the face (past)

(intransitive, cricket) To turn the face of the bat outwards in order to hit the ball on the off side.


pitch count

His pitch count is up to 110; he will probably be pinch-hit for next inning.

(baseball) The number of throws that a pitcher has delivered in a game.


webbing

en-noun

webbing (countable and uncountable, plural webbings)

He caught the ball in the webbing.

(baseball) The part of a baseball mitt between the forefinger and thumb; the web.


over rate

(cricket) The average number of overs completed per hour.


old ball

(cricket) A cricket ball that has been used in a previous match, or used in the current match for more than 30 overs.


nightwatchman

(cricket) A batsman who is sent in to bat higher than his usual position near the end of a day's play (when light is poor), in order to protect better batsmen.


defensive indifference

The play was scored as defensive indifference.

(baseball) An official scoring judgement in which a runner is not credited with a stolen base because the team playing the field did not try to stop the steal. This typically occurs late in a game when the fielding team is winning by at least two runs.


open the attack

en-verb

open the attack (third-person singular simple present opens the attack, present participle opening the attack, simple past and past participle opened the attack)

opens the attack (present singular third-person)
opening the attack (participle present)
opened the attack (participle past)
opened the attack (past)

(cricket) Of a bowler: to bowl one of the first two overs.


extra innings

And we go to extra innings.

(baseball) Additional innings needed to break a tie.


cup of coffee

Based on the idea that the player was only there long enough to have a cup of coffee.

I was up for a cup of coffee once; those were the best six days of my career.

(ice hockey, baseball, slang) The situation where a minor league player comes up to the major league team for a short period of time.


overpitch

overpitch (third-person singular simple present overpitches, present participle overpitching, simple past and past participle overpitched)

overpitches (present singular third-person)
overpitching (participle present)
overpitched (participle past)
overpitched (past)

/ˌəʊ.və(ɹ)ˈpɪt͡ʃ/

(transitive, cricket) To bowl (the ball) so that it bounces closer to the batsman than a good length, allowing the batsman to hit it easily.


can of corn

The phrase, first attested in 1896, refers to the practice of a grocer using a long stick to push a can of goods off a high shelf. (See Seattle Post Intelligencer - Sports Answer Guy article)

He hits a can of corn to left.

(baseball, idiomatic) An easily caught fly ball.


early innings

We have an early innings deficit to make up.

(baseball) The first, second, and third innings.


no-hitter

Not many pitchers can say they threw two no-hitters in their career.

(baseball) A game in which no batter on one of the teams got a hit.


perfect game

(baseball) A game in which every batter on one team is retired without reaching base.

(bowling) A game in which the highest score possible is achieved, entailing a strike in every frame.


ballet

en-noun

ballet (countable and uncountable, plural ballets)

Borrowed from French ballet, from Italian balletto (“short dance, ballet”), diminutive form of ballo (“group dance”), from Late Latin ballō (“to dance”).

der

9. Peter West, Ar. bears sable Ballets argent a Lyon Rampant.

1741, Richard Izacke, Remarkable Antiquities of the City of Exeter … by Richard Izacke … Second Edition:

(heraldry, uncommon) A (small) ball i.e. roundel on a coat of arms, called a bezant, plate, etc., according to colour.


on strike

(cricket, of a batsman) Due to face the next delivery from the bowler.


tilt

From Middle English tilte, from Old English *tyltan, *tieltan (“to be unsteady”), related to the adjective tealt (“unsteady”), from Proto-West Germanic *talt, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *del-, *dul- (“to shake, hesitate”), see also Dutch touteren (“to tremble”), North Frisian talt, tolt (“unstable, shaky”). Cognate with Icelandic tölt (“an ambling pace”).
The nominal sense of "a joust" appears around 1510, presumably derived from the barrier which separated the combatants, which suggests connection with tilt "covering". The modern transitive meaning is from 1590; the intransitive use appears 1620.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-tilt.wav

(photography) The controlled vertical movement of a camera, or a device to achieve this.

függőleges svenkelés

photography: the controlled vertical movement of a camera, or a device to achieve this


on drive

(cricket) a type of batsman's shot played by swinging the bat vertically and hitting the ball along the ground in the direction of mid on.


nelson

Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Nelson (cricket)
Nelson hold

Cricket sense: origin disputed; supposedly from the belief that Lord Nelson had one eye, one arm and one leg.
Wrestling sense: Back-formation from full nelson.

(cricket) A score of 111, sometimes considered to be unlucky.

(wrestling) A wrestling hold in which a wrestler's arm is locked behind their back.


off drive

(cricket) A type of batsman's shot played by swinging the bat vertically and hitting the ball along the ground in the direction of mid off.


off drive

en-verb

off drive (third-person singular simple present off drives, present participle off driving, simple past off drove, past participle off driven)

off drives (present singular third-person)
off driving (participle present)
off drove (past)
off driven (participle past)


dinger

The starting pitcher gave up three dingers.

He should know, he fanned 2597 times — far more than any other man — but made millions hitting 563 dingers.

1989 June, John Holway, “Strikeouts: The High Cost of Hitting Home Runs”, in Baseball Digest:

Then as you're taking his picture, say something about the thirty dingers he's going to hit this season. You get that little extra smile on his face.

1997, Hank Davis, Small-Town Heroes: Images of Minor League Baseball, University of Nebraska Press, published 2003, →ISBN, page 264:

For you youngsters out there, hitting 50 dingers in the pre-steroid craze days of the early 90s was an actual accomplishment; the only questionable substance Fielder was putting in his body were McRib sandwiches.

2008, Mike Stone, Art Regner, The Great Book of Detroit Sports Lists, Running Press, published 2008, →ISBN, page 209:


minefield

(cricket) A pitch that has dried out and crumbled and on which the ball is bouncing and spinning unpredictably.


no ball

(cricket) A ball delivered by a bowler in violation of any of the various laws; the extra run then credited to the batting side; the signal, with an arm outstretched, then made by the umpire.

tuku hē

a ball not delivered in accordance with regulations for the game.


no ball

no ball (third-person singular simple present no balls, present participle no balling, simple past and past participle no balled)

no balls (present singular third-person)
no balling (participle present)
no balled (participle past)
no balled (past)

tukunga hē

a ball not delivered according to the rules of the game.

(cricket, of a bowler) To bowl a no ball.

(cricket, of an umpire) To call and signal a no ball.


passed ball

Jones let a passed ball get behind him.

(baseball) A play where the catcher fails to stop a normally playable pitch and a runner advances.


LV

en-noun

LV (countable and uncountable, plural LVs)

(photography) Initialism of light value.


martingale

From Middle French martingale, from Occitan martegalo, feminine form of martegal, an inhabitant of Martigues, which is from Latin maritima. Alternatively from Spanish almártaga.
The meaning in gambling may come from an old usage of "à la martingale" to mean absurdly, foolishly.https://people.math.harvard.edu/~ctm/home/text/class/sem/html/home/notes/martingales/martingales.pdf

(fencing) A strap attached to the sword handle, preventing a sword being dropped if disarmed.


back to back jack

back to back jack (plural back to back jacks)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-back to back jack.wav

Smith, Jones... back to back jacks in the sixth chasing the starter.

(baseball) Two home runs hit by consecutive batters


four-bagger

Jones popped a four-bagger into the upper-deck in the fifth.


wheelhouse

From wheel + house. Sense 3 (“(baseball) a pitch location which is favourable to the hitter”) references the fact that a vessel is controlled from its wheelhouse (sense 1.2), and sense 4 (“a person’s area of authority or expertise”) is a figurative use of sense 3.

The pitch was right in his wheelhouse, and he hit a grand slam.

The ball was up in my wheelhouse, and I got round on it, got the meat of that Ritchie Ashburn bottle bat solidly on the ball. I'll never in my life hit a ball any better.

1997, Bryan L. Jones, “Baseball”, in Mark Twain Made Me Do It & Other Plains Adventures, Lincoln, Neb., London: University of Nebraska Press, →ISBN, page 74:

The next pitch was close to my wheelhouse so I just let 'er rip. I got ahold of it and shot it to left field on the line.

2007, Alan Schwarz, “Ken Griffey Jr.: On Going Deep with His Father”, in Once upon a Game: Baseball’s Greatest Memories, Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 60, column 1:

Here is the ball, in my wheelhouse. I slide my hips out of the way, put myself in place to hit the coldie of a lifetime.

2009, Andre Agassi, Open: An Autobiography (A Borzoi Book), New York, N.Y.: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, →ISBN, page 215:

(Canada, US, baseball, by extension from sense 1.2) A pitch location which is favourable to the hitter.


palooka

H. L. Mencken
Ham Fisher
Joe Palooka
The American Language

Used in the US since the 1920s, originally primarily of boxers. Popularized by Jack Conway of Variety, who also popularized baloney and bimbo. Further popularized by Ham Fisher in his comic strip Joe Palooka about a boxer (published in newspapers since 1930, particularly popular in 1940s).

unk

Used

But [Jack] Dempsey against some palooka who had been press agented into greatness and into the form of a Dempsey menace — that would pack any outdoor arena.

Butch: Lookin' at somethin', friend?
Vincent: I ain't your friend, palooka.

1994, Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Pulp Fiction:

(US, boxing, bridge, etc) Someone incompetent or untalented.


pitch around

en-verb

pitch around (third-person singular simple present pitches around, present participle pitching around, simple past and past participle pitched around)

pitches around (present singular third-person)
pitching around (participle present)
pitched around (participle past)
pitched around (past)

Jones pitched around the slugger.

(transitive, baseball) To intentionally throw pitches which are slightly out of the strike zone, hoping that the batter will swing wildly at a pitch, but assuming that you will walk him


in-between hop

Errors are more frequent when the play happens on an in-between hop.

(baseball) A bounce larger than a short hop and smaller than a long hop, often difficult to field.


wild pitch

Jones uncorked a wild pitch, which went to the screen.

(baseball) A play where the pitcher throws a non-catchable pitch and a runner advances.


strike zone

That umpire often compresses the strike zone late in the game.

(baseball) The area through which if a pitched ball passes, it will be called a strike, typically from the batter's knees to the belt and the width of home plate.


Red Sox

From red and sox (slang form of socks) - the footwear worn by the members of the team.

(US, baseball) The Boston Red Sox, an American baseball team.


striker

lyöjä

someone or something that hits someone or something else

Olympiakos had barely been in the Arsenal half but should have levelled in the 14th minute. A low corner was not dealt with and the ball fell to the feet of striker Rafik Djebbour, who saw his close-range effort brilliantly cleared from the goalline by Arteta.

2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer) One of the players on a team in football (soccer) in the row nearest to the opposing team's goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals.

(cricket) The batsman who is currently facing the bowler and defending his wicket.

lyöjä

cricket: batsman currently facing the bowler


two-bagger

Jones got a two-bagger in the first.

(baseball, slang) A double (a two-base hit).


part-time bowler

en-noun

part-time bowler (plural part-time bowlers)

(cricket) a batsman who has limited bowling ability; asked to bowl under special circumstances


play on

en-verb

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

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

(cricket, of a batsman) to hit the ball into his own wicket, thus being out bowled

(sports) To let the game continue after a foul has been committed, because the situation is advantageous to the team who would be awarded a foul.


play in

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

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

(cricket, reflexive, play oneself in) Of a batsman, to settle and become comfortable with the conditions at the beginning of his innings.

Zubar played in Doyle down the Wolves left and his ball into the box evaded several players before falling for Mujangi Bia to finally drive in a second past Neil Sullivan.

2011 January 18, “Wolverhampton 5 - 0 Doncaster”, in BBC:

Salah bamboozled Lisandro Martinez to play in Gakpo for another classy finish three minutes later before the Egyptian resumed his long-time role of United tormentor by getting on the scoresheet himself.

2023 March 5, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United”, in BBC Sport:

(soccer, transitive) To pass (someone) the ball into an attacking position.