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Glossary of Sports Terms
beginning with letter B
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backboard Tweet Definition of backboard Like Definition of backboard on Facebook
noun
  1. (basketball) The flat vertical surface to which the basket is attached.
backhand Tweet Definition of backhand Like Definition of backhand on Facebook
noun
  1. (tennis) a stroke made across the chest from the off-hand side to the racquet hand side; a stroke during which the back of the hand faces the shot.
  2. Handwriting that leans to the left
  3. (context, Ultimate Frisbee) the standard throw; a throw during which the disc begins on the off-hand side and travels across the chest to be released from the opposite side.
verb
  1. to execute a backhand stroke or throw
  2. to slap with the back of ones hand
adjective
  1. (handwriting) any left slanting handwriting
  2. (of strokes or throws) in the backhand style
  3. (Icehockey) Any play that uses the back side of the hockey stick
He scored on a backhand shot.
backlash Tweet Definition of backlash Like Definition of backlash on Facebook
noun
  1. A reaction, objection or outcry, especially of a violent or abrupt nature.
  • The public to the proposal was quick and insistent.
When someone has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of Autism, daily interactions on and offline may feel like traversing a minefield; you don"t know if where you"ll step next will have a mine, so people with varying forms of Autism may not know if many of the things they"ll say next will cause an unforeseen .
  1. (context, mechanical) The distance through which one part of connected machinery, as a wheel, piston, or screw, can be moved without moving the connected parts, resulting from looseness in fitting or from wear.
  2. The jarring or reflex motion caused in badly fitting machinery by irregularities in velocity or a reverse of motion.
backspin Tweet Definition of backspin Like Definition of backspin on Facebook
noun
  1. spin applied to a ball in order to slow it, change its flight, or stop it when it lands
backstop Tweet Definition of backstop Like Definition of backstop on Facebook
noun (plural:backstops)
  1. (baseball): A Wooden wall with a fence over it that is behind homebase in a baseball game.
  2. A device that prevents locomotive cars from rolling off a railroad track.
backstroke Tweet Definition of backstroke Like Definition of backstroke on Facebook
noun
  1. A swimming stroke swum on one's back, rotating arms through the water as to propel the swimmer backwards.
backswing Tweet Definition of backswing Like Definition of backswing on Facebook
noun
  1. The preparatory stroke preceding that which produces contact with the target. Normally associated with sports such as golf, tennis and cricket.
backup Tweet Definition of backup Like Definition of backup on Facebook
nounorback-up (pluralbackupsorback-ups)
  1. A reserve or substitute.
If the goalkeeper is injured, we have a .
  1. (computing) A copy of a file or record, stored separately from the original, that can be used to recover the original if it is destroyed or damaged.
After the power failure, we had to restore the database from .
  1. An accumulation of material that halts the flow or movement of something.
The blockage caused a in the plumbing.
adjective
  1. standby, reserve or extra
I am only a player.
  1. (computing) That is intended as a backup.
Make a copy of that file.
bad Tweet Definition of bad Like Definition of bad on Facebook
noun
  1. (slang) error, mistake
Sorry, my !
adjective (worse, worst)
  1. Not good; unfavorable; negative.
  2. Seemingly non-appropriate, in manners, etc.
It is manners to talk with your mouth full.
  1. Not suitable or fitting.
  2. tricky; stressful; unpleasant
Divorce is usually a experience for everybody involved.
  1. evil, wicked
Be careful. There are people in the world.
  1. A result that is negative in the eyes of the speaker.
  2. faulty; not functional
I had a headlight.
  1. Of food, spoilt, rotten, overripe.
  2. Of breath, malodorous, foul.
Badminton Tweet Definition of Badminton Like Definition of Badminton on Facebook
proper noun
  1. a village in Gloucestershire, England
baff Tweet Definition of baff Like Definition of baff on Facebook
noun
  1. (Geordie) blank
verb
  1. To hit or strike, especially with something flat or soft.
  2. (golf) To strike the ground with the bottom of the club when taking a stroke.
bag Tweet Definition of bag Like Definition of bag on Facebook
noun
  1. A flexible container made of cloth, paper, plastic, etc.
  2. One"s preference.
Acid House is not my , I prefer the more traditional styles of music.
  1. (derogatory) An ugly woman.
  2. (baseball) First, second, or third base.
He headed back to the .
  1. (baseball) The cloth-covered pillow used for first, second, and third base.
''The grounder hit the and bounced over the fielder"s head.
  1. (context, preceded by "the") A breathalyzer device, so named because it formerly had a plastic bag over the end to measure a set amount of breath.
verb (bag, g, ing)
  1. To put into a bag.
  2. To catch or kill, especially when fishing or hunting.
We bagged three deer yesterday.
  1. To gain possession of something, or to make first claim on something.
  2. (context, slang, w:AAVE, African American Vernacular English) To be caught by the police.
  3. (context, slang, w:AAVE, African American Vernacular English) To bring a woman one met on the street with one.
  4. (context, slang, w:AAVE, African American Vernacular English) To laugh uncontrollably.
  5. (context, AU, slang) To criticise sarcastically.
  6. (context, medical) To provide artificial ventilation with a bag valve mask (BVM) resuscitator.
bait Tweet Definition of bait Like Definition of bait on Facebook
noun
  1. Any substance, especially food, used in catching fish, or other animals, by alluring them to a hook, snare, trap, or net.
  2. Anything which allure, allures; a lure; enticement; temptation.
  3. A portion of food or drink, as a refreshment taken on a journey; also, a stop for rest and refreshment.
  4. A light or hasty luncheon.
verb
  1. To attract fish or other animals in order to catch them.
  2. The act to worry or torment a chained or confined animal by setting dogs upon it for sport.
  3. To intentionally annoy, torment, or threaten by constant rebukes or threats.
balanced Tweet Definition of balanced Like Definition of balanced on Facebook
adjective
  1. even
He believed he rarely got sick because of his well-balanced diet.
balancer Tweet Definition of balancer Like Definition of balancer on Facebook
noun
  1. One who, or that which, balances.
  2. The rear wings of certain insects used for stability in flight.
balk Tweet Definition of balk Like Definition of balk on Facebook
noun
  1. ridge, an unplowed strip of land. (One use is to walk on it.)
  2. beam.
  3. hindrance.
  4. blunder.
  5. (baseball) an illegal motion intended to deceive a runner.
verb
  1. (archaic) to pass over or by.
  2. to stop, check, block.
  3. to stop short and refuse to go on.
  4. to refuse suddenly.
ball Tweet Definition of ball Like Definition of ball on Facebook
noun
  1. A solid or hollow sphere.
  2. An object, generally spherical, used for playing games.
  3. A quantity of string, thread, etc., wound into a spherical shape.
of wool
  1. (baseball) A pitch that falls outside of the strike zone.
  2. (context, pinball) An opportunity to launch the ball into play.
  3. (context, ballistics) A solid, sperical nonexplosive missile for a cannon, etc.
  4. (mathematics) The set of points in a metric space lying within a given distance (the radius) of a given point; specifically, the homologue of the disk in a Euclidean space of any number of dimensions.
  5. (context, mathematics, more generally) The set of points in a topological space lying within some open set containing a given point; the analogue of the disk in a Euclidean space.
  6. (context, mildly, vulgar, slang, usually in plural) A testicle.
  7. (context, mildly, vulgar, slang, in plural) nonsense, Nonsense.
That"s a load of balls, and you know it! " Synonyms " See WikiSaurus:Nonsense
  1. (context, slang, in plural) courage, Courage.
I doubt he"s got the balls to tell him off.
  1. (cricket) A single delivery by the bowler, six of which make up an over.
  2. (anatomy) The ball of a foot
verb
  1. (context, transitive, vulgar) To have sexual intercourse with.
ball boy Tweet Definition of ball boy Like Definition of ball boy on Facebook
noun
  1. (sports) A person, usually male, responsible for retrieving balls from the area of play, and returning them to the players.
ball game Tweet Definition of ball game Like Definition of ball game on Facebook
noun
  1. Any game played with a ball.
Basketball, cricket, and football are three kinds of .
  1. A specific contest or match between teams playing such a game.
George and Harriet went to the stadium to see the .
ball girl Tweet Definition of ball girl Like Definition of ball girl on Facebook
noun
  1. (sports) Someone responsible for getting the balls from off the area of play to the players.
ballotade Tweet Definition of ballotade Like Definition of ballotade on Facebook
noun
  1. (dressage) A leap of a horse, as between two pillars, or on a straight line, so that when his four feet are in the air, he shows only the shoes of his hind feet, without jerking out.
ballplayer Tweet Definition of ballplayer Like Definition of ballplayer on Facebook
noun (plural:ballplayers)
  1. an athlete, usally a basketball, baseball, or football player.
bandy Tweet Definition of bandy Like Definition of bandy on Facebook
noun
  1. (sports) A winter sport played on ice, from which ice hockey has developed.
verb (bandies, bandying, bandied, bandied)
  1. To give and receive reciprocally; to exchange.
to words (with somebody)
  1. To use or pass about casually.
to have one"s name bandied about (or around)
adjective
  1. bowlegged, Bowlegged, or bending outward at the knees; as in bandy legged.
bangtail Tweet Definition of bangtail Like Definition of bangtail on Facebook
noun
  1. (Australia, United States) The name given to a horse or cow in which the long hairs on the tail are sheared off horizontally; in the horse, level with the hocks. Done partly for show, in cattle it is mainly a mark that they have been handled and the usual operations have been performed; eg. castration, dipping, or to mark them as counted for transportation.
  2. (Slang) Prostitute.
  3. A horse bred for racing.
verbto bangtail
  1. To dock the hair at the end of a cow's tail.
barbell Tweet Definition of barbell Like Definition of barbell on Facebook
noun
  1. (weightlifting): A wide steel bar with premeasured weights affixed to either end, with the central span open for the hands of the weightlifter.
barnstorm Tweet Definition of barnstorm Like Definition of barnstorm on Facebook
verb
  1. To travel around the countryside making political speeches etc
  2. To appear at fairs and carnivals in exhibitions of stunt flying, or sporting events
  3. An athletic team that travels from town to town performing in front of primarily small crowdshttp://www.sportingnews.com/archives/sports2000/numbers/173540.htmlhttp://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/bhof-original-celtics.htmlhttp://www.jimthorpe.org/jim_thorpe_athlete.php
base Tweet Definition of base Like Definition of base on Facebook
noun
  1. Something from which other things extend; a foundation.
  2. The starting point of a logical deduction or thought.
  3. A permanent structure for housing military personnel and material.
  4. The place where decisions for an organization are made; headquarters.
  5. (chemistry) Any of a class of generally water-soluble compounds, having bitter taste, that turn red litmus blue, and react with acids to form salts.
  6. A safe zone in the children's games of tag and hide-and-go-seek
  7. (architecture) The lowermost part of a column, between the shaft and the pedestal or pavement.
  8. (baseball) One of the three places that a runner can stand in safety.
  9. (biology, biochemistry) A nucleotide's nucleobase in the context of a DNA or RNA biopolymer.
  10. (botany) The end of a leaf,petal or similar organ where it is attached to its support.
  11. (electronics) The name of the controlling terminal of a transistor.
  12. (geometry) The lowest side of a in a triangle or other polygon, or the lowest face of a cone, pyramid or other polyhedron laid flat.
  13. (mathematics) A number raised to the power of an exponent.
The logarithm to 2 of 8 is 3.
  1. (topology) The set of sets from which a topology is generated.
adjective  (baser, basest)
base (more base, most base)
  1. low
  2. inferior
  3. immoral
  4. common
baseball Tweet Definition of baseball Like Definition of baseball on Facebook
noun
  1. A sport common in North America, the Caribbean, and Japan, in which the object is to strike a ball so that one of a nine-person team can run counter-clockwise among four bases, causing a run. The team with the most runs after nine or more inning, innings wins.
  2. The ball used to play the sport of baseball.
  3. A variant of poker in which cards with baseball-related values have special significance.
baseball glove Tweet Definition of baseball glove Like Definition of baseball glove on Facebook
noun
  1. (baseball) A protective mitt used when playing baseball.
baseman Tweet Definition of baseman Like Definition of baseman on Facebook
noun
  1. (baseball) a player positioned near a base: first baseman, second baseman or third baseman
basketball Tweet Definition of basketball Like Definition of basketball on Facebook
noun
  1. (context, sport, uncountable) A sport in which two opposing teams of five players strive to put a ball through a hoop.
  2. (context, basketball, countable) The particular kind of ball used in the sport of basketball.
bat Tweet Definition of bat Like Definition of bat on Facebook
noun
  1. Any of the small, nocturnal, flying mammals of the order Chiroptera, which navigate by means of echolocation. They look like a mouse with membranous wings extending from the forelimbs to the hind limbs or tail. Altogether, there are about 1.000 bat species in the world.
  2. (context, offensive) An old woman.
  3. (1811) A low whore: so called from moving out like a bat in the dusk of the evening.
verb (bats, batting, batted)
  1. (transitive) to hit with a bat.
  2. (intransitive) to take a turn at hitting a ball with a bat in sports like cricket, baseball and softball, as opposed to fielding.
  3. (intransitive) to strike or swipe as though with a bat
The cat batted at the toy.
baton Tweet Definition of baton Like Definition of baton on Facebook
noun
  1. A staff or truncheon, used for various purposes; as, the baton of a field marshal; the baton of a conductor in musical performances.
  2. (heraldry) An abatement in coats of arms to denote illegitimacy. (Also spelled batune, baston).
batsman Tweet Definition of batsman Like Definition of batsman on Facebook
noun (pl=batsmen)
  1. (Cricket) Applied to both male and female cricketers:
  2. A player of the batting side now on the field
  4. The player now receiving strike; the striker
  5. 2001: The batsman, Kathryn Leng, (who has played for quite a few years for England) asked the umpire dumbfounded if Charlie was going to bowl with a helmet on. — w:Julia Price, Julia Price (Australian cricketer), her women's Ashes diary entry for 19 June 2001 http://www.southernstars.org.au/ukdiary2001.htm
  7. Any player selected for his or her team principally to bat
batter Tweet Definition of batter Like Definition of batter on Facebook
noun
  1. A beaten mixture of flour and liquid (usually egg and milk), used for baking (e.g. pancakes, cake, or yorkshire pudding) or to coat food (e.g. fish) prior to frying
To the dismay of his mother, the boy put his finger into the cake .
  1. The person who tries to hit the ball in a sport like baseball
The first hit the ball into the corner for a double.
  1. (cricket) A batsman. Used under the modern fashion for expunging gender from all words, but in fact women cricketers refer to themselves as batsmen (ie. it's already gender-neutral, see the batsman article).
  2. A binge, a heavy drinking session.
When he went on a , he became very violent.
  1. A slope.
Hydroseeding of unvegetated batters is planned.
verb
  1. to hit or strike violently and repeatedly
  2. to coat with batter
battery Tweet Definition of battery Like Definition of battery on Facebook
noun (batter, ies)
  1. A device that produces electricity by a chemical reaction between two substances.
  2. The crime or tort of intentionally striking another person.
  3. A coordinated group of artillery.
  4. An array of similar things.
Schoolchildren take a battery of standard tests to measure their progress.
  1. A set of small cages where hens are kept for the purpose of farm, farming their eggs.
  2. (baseball) The catcher and the pitcher together
  3. (chess) Two or more pieces on the same rank, file, or diagonal
batting average Tweet Definition of batting average Like Definition of batting average on Facebook
noun
  1. (Cricket) A statistical estimation of the scoring ability of a batsman; equal to the total number of runs scored divided by the number of times out.
  2. (Baseball) A statistical estimation of the hitting ability of a batter; equal to the number of hits divided by the number of official at-bats. Normally expressed as a real number instead of an average despite the name.
Jones has a .279 .
bear hug Tweet Definition of bear hug Like Definition of bear hug on Facebook
noun
  1. any especially large, tight or enthusiastic hug, usually friendly
Granddad scooped up the child in a big .
  1. in business, a hostile takeover effort in which one firm offers to buy the other firm at a share price too high to refuse
  2. in wrestling, a hold with the arms around the opponent
beat Tweet Definition of beat Like Definition of beat on Facebook
noun
  1. A pulsation or throb.
  2. A pulse on the beat level, the metric level at which pulses are heard as the basic unit. Thus a beat is the basic time unit of a piece.
  3. A rhythm.
  4. A pause with the camera focused on one shot, often a characters face (often used in screenplays/teleplays).
  5. The route of a patrol by a guard or officer as in walk the beat.
  6. In newspapering, the primary focus of a reporter's stories (such as police/courts, education, city government, business, etc.).
  7. A small part of a dramatic play.
verb (beats, beating, beat, beaten)
  1. To hit; to knock; to pound; to strike.
As soon as she heard the news, she went into a rage and the wall with her fists until her knuckles bled.
  1. To strike or pound repeatedly, usually in some sort of rhythm.
He danced hypnotically while she the atabaque.
  1. To win against; to defeat; to do better than, outdo, or excel someone in a particular, competitive event.
Jessica had little trouble beating John in tennis. He lost five games in a row.
No matter how quickly Joe finished his test, Roger always him.
  1. (context, intransitive, nautical) To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.
  2. To mix food in a rapid fashion. cf. whip.
Beat the eggs and whip the cream.
adjective
  1. (gay slang) fabulous
Her makeup was beat!
  1. exhausted
After the long day, she was feeling completely .
beater Tweet Definition of beater Like Definition of beater on Facebook
noun
  1. A kitchen implement for mixing.
  2. A stick used to play a percussion instrument.
  3. US colloquial An automobile in poor operating condition.
  4. US colloquial A sleeveless undershirt (short for 'wife beater')
  5. (Beaters) In a hunting party, the group of men used to drive game towards the shooters.
  6. Papermaking machine for processing fibres by fibrillation in order to improve bonding strength
belay Tweet Definition of belay Like Definition of belay on Facebook
noun
  1. (climbing) The securing of a rope to a rock or other projection; the object to which the rope is secured; a location at which a climber stops and builds an anchor with which to secure his/or her partner
verb (belays, belaying, belaid, belaid)
  1. (nautical) to make a rope fast by turning it round a cleat or belaying pin.
  2. (nautical) the general command to stop or cease.
  3. (climbing) to secure a climber by tying the rope to any available fastening point.
bench Tweet Definition of bench Like Definition of bench on Facebook
noun
  1. A long seat, for example, in the park.
They sat on a park and tossed bread crumbs to the ducks and pigeons.
  1. In law, the people who decide on the verdict; the judiciary.
They are awaiting a decision on the motion from the .
  1. (context, law, figurative) The place where the judges sit.
She sat on the for 30 years before she retired.
  1. The place where players of a sport sit when not playing.
    He spent the first three games on the , watching.
  2. A place where assembly or hand work is performed; a workbench.
    She placed the workpiece on the , inspected it closely, and opened the cover.''
    1. (weightlifting) A horizontal padded surface, usually with a weight rack, used for support during exercise.
verb (bench, es)
  1. (context, transitive, sports) To sideline; to remove a player from play.
They benched him for the rest of the game because they thought he was injured.
  1. (context, transitive, weightlifting) To lift by bench pressing
I heard he can 150 pounds.
  1. (slang) To push the victim back on the person behind them who is on their hands and knees and end up falling over
bender Tweet Definition of bender Like Definition of bender on Facebook
noun
  1. (context, slang) A bout of heavy drinking.
    He's been out on a with his mates.
  2. (context, slang, derogatory, mostly UK) A homosexual man.
    1. A device to aid bending of pipes to a specific angle.
biathlon Tweet Definition of biathlon Like Definition of biathlon on Facebook
noun
  1. A winter sport combining cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
bib Tweet Definition of bib Like Definition of bib on Facebook
noun (plural:bibs)
  1. An item of clothing for baby, babies tied around their neck to protect their clothes from getting dirty when eating.
  2. The upper part of an apron.
bike Tweet Definition of bike Like Definition of bike on Facebook
noun
  1. A short form of bicycle.
  2. A short form of motorcycle.
  3. (derogatory slang) A promiscuous woman.
bind Tweet Definition of bind Like Definition of bind on Facebook
noun
  1. A troublesome situation; a problem; a predicament or quandary.
verb (binds, binding, bound or rarely bounden)
  1. To connect
  2. To couple
  3. To put together in a cover, as of books
  4. (computing) to associate an identifier with a value; to associate a variable name with the content of a storage location
birdie Tweet Definition of birdie Like Definition of birdie on Facebook
noun
  1. (context, diminutive) A bird.
    Aw, that's a cute little . Is it a budgie?
  2. (golf) The completion of a hole one stroke below par.
    He scored ten birdies during the tournament.
  3. (badminton) A shuttlecock.
verb (birdie, d)
  1. (intransitive) (golf) To score a birdie.
    Sí¶renstam birdied to take the lead.
  2. (transitive) (golf) To score a birdie.
    Sí¶renstam birdied the seventeenth hole to take the lead.
bite Tweet Definition of bite Like Definition of bite on Facebook
noun
  1. The act of bite
    1. Verb, biting.
    2. The wound left behind after having been bitten.
    That snake really hurts!
    1. The swelling of one's skin caused by an insect's mouthparts or sting.
    After just one night in the jungle I was covered with mosquito bites.
    1. A piece of food of a size that would be produced by bite
  2. Verb, biting; a mouthful.
There were only a few bites left on the plate.
  1. (slang) Something unpleasant.
That's really a !
  1. (slang) An act of plagiarism.
That song is a of my song!
verb (bites, biting, bit, bitten)
  1. (transitive) To cut off a piece by clamping the teeth.
As soon as you that sandwich, you'll know how good it is.
  1. (transitive) To hold something by clamping one"s teeth.
  2. (intransitive) To attack with the teeth.
That dog is about to !
  1. (intransitive) To take hold; to establish firm contact with.
I needed snow chains to make the tires .
  1. (context, intransitive, of a fish) To bite a baited hook or other lure and thus be caught.
Are the fish biting today?
  1. (intransitive) To fall for a deception.
I've planted the story. Do you think they'll ?
  1. (context, intransitive, of an insect) To sting.
These mosquitoes are really biting today!
  1. (context, intransitive, slang) To lack quality; to be worthy of derision.
This music really bites.
  1. (context, intransitive, slang) To plagiarize.
He's biting my style.
blade Tweet Definition of blade Like Definition of blade on Facebook
noun
  1. The sharp-edged or pointed working end of a tool or utensil, e.g., a knife, chisel, or screwdriver.
  2. thin, Thin plate, foil.
  3. The flat or expanded part of a leaf or petal of a plant
  4. Any weapon or tool consisting of a blade (sword, knife, etc.)
  5. Any of the arms of a propeller. E.g., The plane has a four blade propeller.
  6. (context, ultimate frisbee) A throw characterized by a tight parabolic trajectory due to a steep lateral attitude.
  7. (context, rowing) An oar.
  8. (context, sailing) A rudder, daggerboard, or centerboard.