ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sports

n. · adj. · v.
US //ˈspɔɹts// UK //spˈɔːts// sports
  1. 1 athletic activities (n.)
    A1 Beginner Sport

    games or activities that people do for exercise or fun, often involving competition.

    physical activities or games, often competitive and governed by rules, played for exercise or entertainment.

    Example

    She played many different sports in high school, including soccer and basketball.

    Example

    The university offers excellent facilities for a wide range of sports, from traditional rowing to modern competitive climbing.
  2. 2 related to sport (adj.)
    A2 Elementary Sport

    describing things that are used for or related to sports.

    functioning as an attributive adjective to describe objects, clothing, or media associated with athletic activities.

    Example

    He went to the sports shop to buy a new tennis racket.

    Example

    The sports section of the newspaper provides detailed analysis of the weekend's professional league results.

    Usage

    Always placed before the noun it describes.
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  1. 3 to wear or display (v.)
    C1 Advanced Literary

    to wear something or have a feature in a way that people notice.

    to wear or display a particular item or physical feature, often with a sense of pride or ostentation.

    Example

    The old building sports a new coat of bright red paint.

    Example

    He usually sports a neatly trimmed beard and a vintage leather jacket whenever he attends these formal gallery openings.

    Usage

    Third-person singular form of the verb 'sport'.
Origin

From sport + -s.

Word family

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