sport
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /spɔːt/
ipa: /spɔɹt/
ipa: /spɔː/
note: rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
ipa: /spo(ː)ɹt/
note: non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
ipa: /spoət/
rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)t
Forms: form: sports
Etymology: Aphetic form of disport. From Middle English sporten (“to divert, disport”) (verb) and sport, spoort, sporte (noun), aphetic shortenings of disporten (verb) and disport, disporte (noun), from Old French desporter (“to divert, amuse, please, play; to seek amusement”), etymologically meaning "to carry away (the mind from serious matters)," from des- + porter, from Latin dis- + Latin portāre, ultimately from Latin deportāre, from de- + portāre, from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to lead, pass over”)). More at disport. Doublet of disport and deport.
Senses: examples: text: Basketball is her favorite sport, and she also enjoys various other sports as well.
text: Sport can be an excellent form of exercise because the competition and sense of achievement can help with both motivation and pleasure.
glosses: Any activity that uses physical exertion or skills competitively under a set of rules that is not based on aesthetics.
examples: text: Jen may have won, but she was sure a poor sport; she laughed at the loser.
text: The loser was a good sport, and congratulated Jen on her performance.
glosses: A person who exhibits either good or bad sportsmanship.
examples: text: You're such a sport! You never get upset when we tease you.
glosses: Somebody who behaves or reacts in an admirably good-natured manner, e.g. to being teased or to losing a game; a good sport.
examples: text: Think it but a minute spent in sport.
ref: 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
text: Her sports were such as carried riches of knowledge upon the stream of delight.
ref: c. 1580 (date written), Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “[The Thirde Booke] Chapter 21”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC, folio 283, recto:
english: The New Arcadia
translation: The New Arcadia
text: The little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the spoon.
ref: a. 1765, year of origin unknown, Hey Diddle Diddle (traditional rhyme)
synonyms: word: amusement
word: avocation
word: diversion
word: divertisement
word: fancy
word: hobby
word: kill-time
word: pastime
word: pursuit
word: sport
glosses: Something fun, pastime; amusement.
examples: text: Why then make ſport at me, then let me be your ieſt
ref: c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], page 58, column 2:
glosses: Mockery, making fun; derision.
examples: text: flitting leaves, the sport of every wind
ref: 1697, Virgil, “The Sixth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: Never does man appear to greater disadvantage than when he is the sport of his own ungoverned passions.
ref: a. 1676, John Clarke, On Governing the Temper:
glosses: A toy; a plaything; an object of mockery.
glosses: Gaming for money as in racing, hunting, or fishing.
examples: text: We never shot another like it, so I do not know if it was a `sport' or a distinct species.
ref: 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
text: At Hortus Bulborum you will find heirloom narcissi that date back at least to the 15th century and famous old tulips like 'Duc van Tol' (1595) and its sports.
ref: 2014 September 26, Charles Quest-Ritson, “The Dutch garden where tulip bulbs live forever: Hortus Bulborum, a volunteer-run Dutch garden, is dedicated to conserving historic varieties before they vanish for good [print version: Inspired by a living bulb archive, 27 September 2014, p. G5]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Gardening):
topics: biology
botany
natural-sciences
zoology
glosses: A plant or an animal, or part of a plant or animal, which has some peculiarity not usually seen in the species; an abnormal variety or growth. The term encompasses both mutants and organisms with non-genetic developmental abnormalities such as birth defects.
glosses: A sportsman; a gambler.
glosses: One who consorts with disreputable people, including prostitutes.
glosses: An amorous dalliance.
examples: text: "Say, sport!" he would say briskly.
ref: 1924 July, Ellis Butler, “The Little Tin Godlets”, in The Rotarian, volume 25, number 1, Rotary International, page 14:
synonyms: word: babber
word: billy
word: bredrin
word: bruv
word: bud
word: buddo
word: buddy
word: butty
word: chaver
word: china
word: chuck
word: chum
word: cock
word: cocker
word: cobber
word: compadre
word: comrade
word: companion
word: cove
word: crony
word: dawg
word: dude
word: duck
word: fam
word: fettler
word: friend
word: geez
word: geezer
word: gink
word: good old boy
word: homeskillet
word: homie
word: kith
word: lover
word: marrow
word: mate
word: matey
word: mucker
word: old bean
word: pal
word: pardner
word: peeps
word: shag
word: sport
word: surry
word: tovarish
word: wantok
glosses: A friend or acquaintance (chiefly used when speaking to the friend in question)
examples: text: Hey, sport! You've gotten so big since I saw you last! Give me five.
glosses: Term of endearment used by an adult for a child, usually a boy.
examples: 1725-1726, William Broome, The Odyssey
An author who should introduce such a sport of words upon our stage […] would meet with small applause.
glosses: Play; idle jingle.
Derived terms: action sport
adrenaline sport
adventure sport
adventurous sport
air sport
antisport
ask me one about sport
ask me one on sport
autosport
bad sport
blood sport
boardsport
cardiosport
combat sport
contact sport
cue sport
cuesport
cybersport
cycle sport
dancesport
demonstration sport
disability sport
disabled sport
electronic sport
eSport
e-sport
e-sports
extreme sport
fantasy sports
field sport
flying sport
for sport
good sport
gravity sport
hardsport
individual sport
junk sport
locksport
make-sport
make sport of
mar-sport
mind sport
motorbike sport
motorcycle sport
motorsport
multi-sport
multisport
national sports team
nonsport
old sport
outsport
paddlesport
parasport
para-sport
poor sport
powersport
professional sport
pseudosport
racket sport
radiosport
roller sport
rotisserie sports
snowsport
spectator sport
spoil-sport
spoilsport
spornosexual
sportability
sport acrobatics
sportaholic
sportal
sport bike
sportbike
sport bowling
sport climber
sport climbing
sport coat
sportcoat
sportdiver
sportdiving
sport diving
sportfisherman
sportfishery
sportfishing
sport fish
sportfish
sport-fucking
sportful
Sportianity
sportify
sporting
sportish
sportive
sport jacket
sport-jacketed
sportless
sportlike
sportling
sportly
sport of kings
sport of nature
sport one's oak
sport pepper
sportpony
sports
sports anorexia
sports bag
sports bar
sports betting
sports bib
sports bra
sportscape
sports car
sports card
sports center
sports centre
sports club
sports cream
sports day
sports drink
sports entertainment
sports fan
sports field
sports final
sports gathering
sports ground
sports jacket
sports-jacketed
sports-luxe
sports luxe
sportsman
sportsmanship
sports medicine
sportsome
sports page
sportspeak
sports physiology
sports prototype
sports science
sports supplement
sport stacking
sportswoman
sports writer
sport the oak
sport truck
sport ute
sport-utility vehicle
sport utility vehicle
sportwear
sportweight
supersport
team sport
trashsport
trash sport
watersport
water sport
wheelchair sport
winter sport