sport | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

103 entries found.

1660s, "to make a joke," from joke (n.) or else from Latin iocari "to jest, joke," from iocus "joke, sport, pastime." Related: Joked; joking.

Queensberry Rules

drawn up 1867 by Sir John Sholto Douglas (1844-1900), 8th Marquis of Queensberry, to govern the sport of boxing in Great Britain.

boxing (n.)

"fighting with the fists as a sport," 1711, verbal noun from box (v.2). Boxing glove "padded glove used in sparring" is from 1805.

cross-country (adj.)

1767, of roads, "lying or directed across fields or open country," from cross- + country, or a shortening of across-country. Of flights, from 1909. As a noun, "outdoor distance running as a sport," by 1956.

hijinks (n.)

also hi-jinks, high jinks, "boisterous capers, lively or boisterous sport," 1842, from name of games played at drinking parties (1690s). See jink.

wrestling (n.)

Old English wræstlung, "sport of grappling and throwing," verbal noun from wrestle (v.). From c. 1300 as "action of wrestling, a wrestling match." Figurative use from c. 1200.

game (adj.2)

"ready for action, unafraid, and up to the task;" probably literally "spirited as a game-cock," 1725, from game-cock "bird bred for fighting" (1670s), from game (n.) in the "sport, amusement" sense. Middle English adjectives gamesome, gamelich meant "joyful, playful, sportive."

pot-hunter (n.)

"one who shoots whatever he finds; one who hunts or fishes for food or profit not for sport, one who kills regardless of the season, waste of game, or pleasure involved," 1781, from pot (n.1) + hunter. Related: Pot-hunting (1808).

spectator (n.)

1580s, from Latin spectator "viewer, watcher," from past participle stem of spectare "to view, watch" (see spectacle). Spectator sport is attested from 1943. Related: Spectatorial. Fem. form spectatress (1630s) is less classically correct than spectatrix (1610s).

jocose (adj.)

"given to jokes and jesting," 1670s, from Latin iocosus "full of jesting, fond of jokes, funny," from iocus "pastime, sport; a jest, joke" (see joke (n.)). Often it implies ponderous humor (compare jocund). Related: Jocosely; jocoseness.

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