Skip to the word

Added 4 October 2026

sport

/spɔːt/ noun

Latin root: dis Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sport at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition.
The occupation of athletes who compete for pay.
(Maine colloquial) a temporary summer resident of Maine.

verb

Wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner.
she was sporting a new hat
Play boisterously.
The children frolicked in the garden

Origin

From Middle English sporten (“to divert, disport”, verb) and sport, spoort, sporte (noun), apheretic shortenings of disporten (verb) and disport, disporte (noun), from Old French desporter (“to divert, amuse, please, play; to seek amusement”), etymologically meaning "to carry away (the mind from serious matters)," from des- + porter, from Latin dis- + Latin portāre, ultimately from Latin deportāre, from de- + portāre, from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to lead, pass over”)). Replaced native English laik, lake (“sport, fun, amusement”), and Middle English spile, spyl (“fun, sport, play”). More at disport. Doublet of disport and deport.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word