Word
clemson
Phoneticsclem·son
/ˈkɫɛmsən/
Definitions
01university or city
n. A city in South Carolina, USA, and the famous university located there.
n. A city in Pickens and Anderson counties, South Carolina, primarily known as the site of Clemson University.
“She decided to apply to Clemson because of their excellent engineering program.”
“The local economy in the region is heavily dependent on the seasonal influx of students attending Clemson.”
American English
02to fail unexpectedly
v. To lose a game or fail at something when everyone expected you to win.
v. To perform uncharacteristically poorly or lose a competition despite being the heavy favourite.
“The team was winning by twenty points but they started to clemson in the final minutes.”
“Fans were terrified the top-seeded team would clemson the opening round against a much weaker opponent.”
American English · Slang · Informal
Usage
Often used in the gerund form 'Clemsoning' to describe a specific type of late-game collapse.
Teaching tip
This term originated in American college football; it is highly informal and should be avoided in professional or academic writing.
Antonyms
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/clemson