Word
redshirt
Phoneticsred·shirt
Countable noun
Definition
n. a college sports player who sits out official games for a year to train and save a year of playing time.
n. a college athlete held out of official competition for a season to extend eligibility while continuing to practise with the team. Most common in US university sports.
Examples
“He spends this year as a redshirt and trains daily.”
“The coach makes the young quarterback a redshirt so he can learn the plays without losing a year of eligibility.”
“After injury cut short his first season, he returned as a redshirt sophomore with a deeper grasp of tactics and a stronger claim to a starting place.”
Examples
simple
“He spends this year as a redshirt and trains daily.”
contextual
“The coach makes the young quarterback a redshirt so he can learn the plays without losing a year of eligibility.”
complex
“After injury cut short his first season, he returned as a redshirt sophomore with a deeper grasp of tactics and a stronger claim to a starting place.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “redshirt” in context.
Verb
01. burn redshirt
“The coaches refused to burn his redshirt for two late-season snaps.”
verb + noun
02. grant redshirt
“The NCAA will grant him a redshirt because he played only three games.”
verb + noun
03. preserve redshirt
“They held him out of the finale to preserve his redshirt.”
verb + noun
04. redshirt practices
“The redshirt practices with the scout team to mimic opponents' schemes.”
noun + verb
05. redshirt sits out
“The redshirt sits out every game but practices daily with the starters.”
noun + verb + prep
Adjective
06. incoming redshirt
“The incoming redshirt will practice with the scout team all season.”
adj + noun
07. medical redshirt
“The quarterback was granted a medical redshirt after missing the season with injury.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. redshirt season
“After her redshirt season, she returned as a stronger starter.”
noun + noun
09. redshirt status
“His redshirt status allowed him an extra year to develop physically.”
noun + noun
10. burn a player's redshirt
“Playing him in the fourth quarter would burn a player's redshirt for minimal gain.”
11. grant a medical redshirt
“The committee voted to grant a medical redshirt after his injury.”
12. preserve his redshirt year
“The staff benched him late to preserve his redshirt year.”
Usage
Chiefly US college sports; often used before another noun in phrases like 'redshirt year' or 'redshirt freshman'.
Real-World Examples
“In cases like this, parents may choose to "redshirt" their child or delay their entry into kindergarten by one year.” “On Wednesday, UNLV running back Michael Allen and USC defensive tackle Bear Alexander both announced decisions to sit out the remainder of the season and redshirt, due to a lack of playing time opportunities.” Etymology
Calque of Italian camicia rossa, equivalent to red + shirt. In later senses with reference to the uniforms or outfits worn by such people. The fandom slang sense emerged from the tendency of red-uniformed Starfleet officers to die in episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/redshirt