sport
sport [spôrt, spōrt] noun
1. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
2. An active pastime; recreation.
3. a. Mockery; jest: He made sport of his own looks. b. An object of mockery, jest, or play: treated our interests as sport. c. A joking mood or attitude: She made the remark in sport.
4. a. One known for the manner of one's acceptance of rules, especially of a game, or of a difficult situation: a poor sport. b. Informal. One who accepts rules or difficult situations well. c. Informal. A pleasant companion: was a real sport during the trip.
5. Informal. a. A person who lives a jolly, extravagant life. b. A gambler at sporting events.
6. Biology. An organism that shows a marked change from the normal type or parent stock, typically as a result of mutation.
7. Maine. See summercater. See Regional Note at summercater.
8. Obsolete. Amorous dalliance; lovemaking.
verb
sported, sporting, sports
verb, intransitive
1. To play or frolic.
2. To joke or trifle.
3. Biology. To mutate.
verb, transitive
To display or show off: "His shoes sported elevated heels" [Truman Capote].
adjective
or sports
1. Of, relating to, or appropriate for sports: sport fishing; sports equipment.
2. Designed or appropriate for outdoor or informal wear: a sport shirt.
[Middle English sporte, short for disporte, from Old French desport, pleasure, from desporter, to divert. See disport.]
sportʹful adjective
sportʹfully adverb
sportʹfulness noun