Sport

Pronunciation

• GenAm IPA: /spɔɹt/, /spoɹt/
• RP IPA: /spɔːt/, /spɔət/
• Tasmanian IPA: /spɔː/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)t

Origin

From Old French desport, variant of deport ("fun, amusement"), from Latin deportāre, present active infinitive of deportō.

Full definition of sport

Adjective

1. Suitable for use in athletic activities or for casual or informal wear.Jen has a new pair of sport shoes, and a new sports bra.

Synonyms

• sports

Noun

1. (countable) Any activity that uses physical exertion or skills competitively under a set of rules that is not based on aesthetics.
2. (countable) A person who exhibits either good or bad sportsmanship.
• Jen may have won, but she was sure a poor sport; she laughed at the loser.
• The loser was a good sport, and congratulated Jen on her performance.
3. (countable) Somebody who behaves or reacts in an admirable manner, a good sport.
• You're such a sport! You never get upset when we tease you.
4. (obsolete) That which diverts, and makes mirth; pastime; amusement.
• ShakespeareThink it but a minute spent in sport.
• Sir Philip SidneyHer sports were such as carried riches of knowledge upon the stream of delight.
• Hey Diddle DiddleThe little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the spoon.
5. (obsolete) Mockery; derision.
• ShakespeareThen make sport at me; then let me be your jest.
6. (countable) A toy; a plaything; an object of mockery.
• Drydenflitting leaves, the sport of every wind
• John ClarkeNever does man appear to greater disadvantage than when he is the sport of his own ungoverned passions.
7. (uncountable) Gaming for money as in racing, hunting, fishing.
8. (biology, botany, zoology, countable) 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.
9. (slang, countable) A sportsman; a gambler.
10. (slang, countable) One who consorts with disreputable people, including prostitutes.
11. (obsolete, uncountable) An amorous dalliance.
• Charlie and Lisa enjoyed a bit of sport after their hike.
12. (informal, usually singular) A friend or acquaintance (chiefly used when speaking to the friend in question)
• 1924, , Ellis Butler, The Little Tin Godlets, "Say, sport!" he would say briskly.
13. (obsolete) Play; idle jingle.
• BroomeAn author who should introduce such a sport of words upon our stage would meet with small applause.

Derived terms

Verb

1. (intransitive) To amuse oneself, to play.
   children sporting on the green
2. (intransitive) To mock or tease, treat lightly, toy with.
   Jen sports with Bill's emotions.
• TillotsonHe sports with his own life.
3. (transitive) To display; to have as a notable feature.
• 2013-07-20, Welcome to the plastisphere, researchers noticed many of their pieces of marine debris sported surface pits around two microns across. Such pits are about the size of a bacterial cell. Closer examination showed that some of these pits did, indeed, contain bacteria, ….
4. Jen's sporting a new pair of shoes;  he was sporting a new wound from the combat
5. (reflexive) To divert; to amuse; to make merry.
• Bible, Isa. lvii. 4Against whom do ye sport yourselves?
6. (transitive) To represent by any kind of play.
• John DrydenNow sporting on thy lyre the loves of youth.
7. To practise the diversions of the field or the turf; to be given to betting, as upon races.
8. To assume suddenly a new and different character from the rest of the plant or from the type of the species; said of a bud, shoot, plant, or animal.

Anagrams

• ports
• strop