Recreation and Sports
- 1-hitter
- a game in which a pitcher allows the opposing team only one hit
- 2-hitter
- a game in which a pitcher allows the opposing team only 2 hits
- 3-hitter
- a game in which a pitcher allows the opposing team only 3 hits
- 4-hitter
- a game in which a pitcher allows the opposing team 4 hits
- 5-hitter
- a game in which a pitcher allows the opposing team 5 hits
- a capella singing
- singing without instrumental accompaniment
- acrobatics
- the gymnastic moves of an acrobat
- adagio
- a slow section of a pas de deux requiring great skill and strength by the dancers
- agon
- a festivity in ancient Greece at which competitors contended for prizes
- American football game
- a game played by two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field 100 yards long; teams try to get possession of the ball and advance it across the opponents goal line in a series of (running or passing) plays
- angling
- fishing with a hook and line (and usually a pole)
- apache dance
- a violent fast dance in French vaudeville (an apache is a member of the French underworld)
- apache devil dance
- a ritual dance of the Apache
- April fool
- a practical joke or trick played on the first day of April
- aquatics
- sports that involve bodies of water
- archery
- the sport of shooting arrows with a bow
- association football
- a football game in which two teams of 11 players try to kick or head a ball into the opponents' goal
- athletic game
- a game involving athletic activity
- auto racing
- the sport of racing automobiles
- avocation
- an auxiliary activity
- bacchanal
- a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
- Bacchanalia
- an orgiastic festival in ancient Greece in honor of Dionysus (= Bacchus)
- badminton
- a game played on a court with light long-handled rackets used to volley a shuttlecock over a net
- bait casting
- the single-handed rod casting of a relatively heavy (artificial) bait
- ball game
- a field game played with a ball (especially baseball)
- ball
- a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs
- ballet
- a theatrical representation of a story that is performed to music by trained dancers
- ballroom dance
- any of a variety of social dances performed by couples in a ballroom
- banking game
- any gambling game in which bets are laid against the gambling house or the dealer
- basketball
- a game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop
- bathe
- the act of swimming for pleasure or recreation
- battledore
- an ancient racket game
- battue
- a hunt in which beaters force the game to flee in the direction of the hunter
- beagling
- hunting rabbits with beagles
- beguilement
- an entertainment that provokes pleased interest and distracts you from worries and vexations
- beguine
- a ballroom dance that originated in the French West Indies; similar to the rumba
- bel canto
- a style of operatic singing
- belly dance
- a Middle Eastern dance in which the dancer makes sensuous movements of the hips and abdomen
- belly flop
- a dive in which the abdomen bears the main force of impact with the water
- bender
- revelry in drinking; a merry drinking party
- bet
- the act of gambling
- bicycling
- riding a bicycle
- bill
- the entertainment offered at a public presentation
- binge
- an occasion for excessive eating or drinking
- blood sport
- sport that involves killing animals (especially hunting)
- blowout
- a gay festivity
- boat racing
- the sport of racing boats
- bobsledding
- riding on a bobsled
- bolero
- a Spanish dance in triple time accompanied by guitar and castanets
- bowing
- managing the bow in playing a stringed instrument
- boxing
- fighting with the fists
- break dance
- a form of solo dancing that involves rapid acrobatic moves in which different parts of the body touch the ground; normally performed to the rhythm of rap music
- broad jump
- the act of jumping as far as possible from a running start
- bubble dance
- a solo dance similar to a fan dance except large balloons are used instead of fans
- buck-and-wing
- a solo tap dance emphasizing sharp taps
- Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
- a spectacular show organized in 1883 by William F. Cody that featured horseback riding and marksmanship on a large scale; toured the United States and Europe
- buffoonery
- acting like a clown or buffoon
- bullfighting
- the activity at a bullfight
- bunny hug
- a syncopated ballroom dance formerly popular in the US
- cabaret
- a series of acts at a night club
- cakewalk
- a strutting dance based on a march; was performed in minstrel shows; originated as a competition among Black dancers to win a cake
- camel racing
- the sport of racing camels
- cancan
- a high-kicking dance of French origin performed by a female chorus line
- cantillation
- liturgical chanting
- card trick
- a trick performed with playing cards
- carioca
- a lively ballroom dance that resembles the samba
- carnival
- a festival marked by merrymaking and processions
- carnival
- a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc.
- caroling
- singing joyful religious songs (especially at Christmas)
- cast
- the act of throwing a fishing line out over the water by means of a rod and reel
- cast
- the act of throwing dice
- catch
- a cooperative game in which a ball is passed back and forth
- ceremonial dance
- a dance that is part of a religious ritual
- cha-cha
- a modern ballroom dance from Latin America; small steps and swaying movements of the hips
- chanting
- the act of singing in a monotonous tone
- charades
- guessing game in which one player pantomimes a word or phrase for others to guess
- Charleston
- an American ballroom dance in syncopated rhythm; popular early in the 20th century
- choreography
- a show involving artistic dancing
- circus
- a performance given by a traveling company of acrobats, clowns, and trained animals
- classical ballet
- a style of ballet based on precise conventional steps performed with graceful and flowing movements
- cliff diving
- diving into the water from a steep overhanging cliff
- clock golf
- a form of golf in which you putt from positions arranged on the circumference of a circle around the hole
- clog
- a dance performed while wearing shoes with wooden soles; has heavy stamping steps
- cockfighting
- participation in the sport of matching gamecocks in a cockfight
- coloratura
- singing with florid ornamentation
- comedy ballet
- a ballet that stresses the drama with features of comedy
- computer game
- a game played against a computer
- conga
- a Latin American dance of 3 steps and a kick by people in single file
- conjuration
- an illusory feat; considered magical by naive observers
- contact sport
- a sport that necessarily involves body contact between opposing players
- contra danse
- a type of folk dance in which couples are arranged in sets or face one another in a line
- conviviality
- a boisterous celebration; a merry festivity
- coquetry
- playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest
- corn dance
- a rain dance of Amerindians
- cotilion
- a lively dance originating in France in the 18th century
- counterdemonstration
- a demonstration held in opposition to another demonstration
- courante
- a court dance of the 16th century; consisted of short advances and retreats
- coursing
- hunting with dogs (usually greyhounds) that are trained to chase game (such as hares) by sight instead of by scent
- court game
- an athletic game played on a court
- court tennis
- an ancient form of tennis played in a four-walled court
- crab
- a stroke of the oar that either misses the water or digs too deeply
- crap game
- playing craps
- craps
- a gambling game played with two dice; a first throw of 7 or 11 wins and a first throw of 2, 3, or 12 loses and a first throw of any other number must be repeated to win before a 7 is thrown, which loses the bet and the dice
- craziness
- foolish or senseless behavior
- cricket
- a game played with a ball and bat by two teams of 11 players; teams take turns trying to score runs
- crooning
- the act of singing popular songs in a sentimental manner
- crooning
- singing in a soft low tone
- croquet
- a game in which players hit a wooden ball through a series of hoops; the winner is the first to traverse all the hoops and hit a peg
- cross-country jumping
- riding horses across country over obstructions to demonstrate horsemanship
- cross-country skiing
- the sport of skiing across the countryside (rather than downhill)
- curvet
- a light leap by a horse in which both hind legs leave the ground before the forelegs come down
- cycling
- the sport of traveling on a bicycle or motorcycle
- daily double
- a single bet on two horse races in the same day
- daisy cutter
- a batted or served ball that skims along close to the ground
- dance of death
- a medieval dance in which a skeleton representing death leads a procession of others to the grave
- day game
- a game played in daylight
- dead-man's float
- a floating position with the face down and arms stretched forward
- debunking
- the exposure of falseness or pretensions
- deck tennis
- game played mainly on board ocean liners; players toss a ring back and forth over a net that is stretched across a small court
- deer hunt
- hunting deer
- demonstration
- a show of military force or preparedness
- demonstration
- a show or display; the act of presenting something to sight or view
- dip
- a brief swim in water
- dirty trick
- an unkind or aggressive trick
- display
- something shown to the public
- dive
- a headlong plunge into water
- do-si-do
- a square-dance figure; two dancers approach each other and circle back to back before returning to their original places
- doctor
- children take the roles of physician or patient or nurse and pretend they are at the physician's office
- dog show
- a competitive exhibition of dogs
- double stopping
- stopping two strings and producing two notes at the same time
- doubles
- tennis played with two players on each side
- doubles
- badminton played with two players on each side
- dramatic performance
- the act of performing a drama
- drawing
- players buy (or are given) chances and prizes are distributed by casting lots
- dressage
- maneuvers of a horse in response to body signals by the rider
- drollery
- a quaint and amusing jest
- duck hunting
- hunting ducks
- ducks and drakes
- a game in which a flat stone is bounced along the surface of calm water
- duet
- (ballet) a dance for two people (usually a ballerina and a danseur noble)
- dune cycling
- bicycling or motorcycling on sand dunes
- edutainment
- entertainment that is intended to be educational
- eightsome
- a Scottish reel for eight dancers
- eisteddfod
- any of several annual Welsh festivals involving artistic competitions (especially in singing)
- encore
- an extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demand
- entr'acte
- a brief show (music or dance etc) inserted between the sections of a longer performance
- equestrian sport
- a sport that tests horsemanship
- equitation
- the sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
- exacta
- a bet that you can pick the first and second finishers in the right order
- exhibition
- the act of exhibiting
- exposure
- presentation to view in an open or public manner
- extemporisation
- a performance given extempore without planning or preparation
- extravaganza
- any lavishly staged or spectacular entertainment
- fan dance
- a solo dance in which large fans are manipulated to suggest or reveal nakedness
- fan tan
- a Chinese gambling game; a random number of counters are placed under a bowl and you gamble on how many will be left (0, 1, 2, or 3 modulo 4)
- fandango
- a provocative Spanish courtship dance in triple time; performed by a man and a woman playing castanets
- farandole
- a lively dance from Provence; all the dancers join hands and execute various figures
- Fat Tuesday
- a carnival held in some countries on Shrove Tuesday (the last day before Lent) but especially in New Orleans
- feria
- (in Spanish speaking regions) a local festival or fair, usually in honor of some patron saint
- festival
- an organized series of acts and performances (usually in one place)
- field game
- an outdoor game played on a field of specified dimensions
- field hockey
- a game resembling ice hockey that is played on an open field; two opposing teams use curved hockey sticks try to drive a ball into the opponents' net
- field sport
- a sport that is played outdoors
- fight
- a boxing or wrestling match
- figure skating
- ice skating where the skates trace outlines of selected figures
- film festival
- a cinematic festival that features films (usually films produced during the past year)
- fireman
- play in which children pretend to put out a fire
- fishing
- the act of someone who fishes as a diversion
- fives
- a game resembling handball; played on a court with a front wall and two side walls
- flamenco
- a style of dancing characteristic of the Andalusian Gypsies; vigorous and rhythmic with clapping and stamping of feet
- flip
- a dive in which the diver somersaults before entering the water
- flip
- the act of flipping a coin
- floating
- the act of someone who floats on the water
- fly casting
- casting an artificial fly as a lure
- fly-fishing
- angling with an artificial fly as a lure
- flying mare
- a wrestling maneuver
- folk dance
- a style of dancing that originated among ordinary people (not in the royal courts)
- football
- any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal
- Fosbury flop
- jumping over the bar backwards and head first
- fox hunting
- mounted hunters follow hounds in pursuit of a fox
- foxtrot
- a ballroom dance in quadruple time; combines short and long and fast and slow steps fixed sequences
- full gainer
- a dive in which the diver throws the feet forward to complete a full backward somersault and enters the water feet first and facing away from the diving board
- funambulism
- walking on a tightrope or slack rope
- gambling game
- a game that involves gambling
- game
- frivolous or trifling behavior
- gavotte
- an old formal French dance in quadruple time
- ghost dance
- a religious dance of Native Americans looking for communication with the dead
- golf
- a game played on a large open course with 9 or 18 holes; the object is use as few strokes as possible in playing all the holes
- grappling
- the sport of hand-to-hand struggle between unarmed contestants who try to throw each other down
- Greco-Roman wrestling
- a style of wrestling where the wrestlers are forbidden to tackle or trip or use holds below the waist
- greyhound racing
- the sport of racing greyhounds
- guessing game
- a game in which participants compete to identify some obscurely indicated thing
- gymnastic exercise
- a sport that involves exercises intended to display strength and balance and agility
- habanera
- a Cuban dance in duple time
- half gainer
- a dive in which the diver throws the feet forward and up to complete a half backward somersault and enters the water facing the diving board
- handball
- a game played in a walled court or against a single wall by two or four players who strike a rubber ball with their hands
- hardball
- baseball as distinguished from softball
- hare and hounds
- an outdoor game; one group of players (the hares) start off on a long run scattering bits of paper (the scent) and pursuers (the hounds) try to catch them before they reach a designated spot
- harmonisation
- singing in harmony
- Hawaiian dancing
- a Polynesian rain dance performed by a woman
- high jinks
- noisy and mischievous merrymaking
- high jump
- the act of jumping as high as possible over a horizontal bar
- highland fling
- a vigorous Scottish reel
- hockey
- a game played on an ice rink by two opposing teams of six skaters each who try to knock a flat round puck into the opponents' goal with angled hockey sticks
- hoofing
- dancing in which the steps are more important than gestures or postures
- hornpipe
- a British solo dance performed by sailors
- horse racing
- the sport of racing horses
- horseplay
- rowdy or boisterous play
- horseshoes
- a game in which iron rings (or open iron rings) are thrown at a stake in the ground in the hope of encircling it
- horseshow
- a competitive exhibition of horses
- hotfoot
- a practical joke that involves inserting a match surreptitiously between the sole and upper of the victim's shoe and then lighting it
- house
- play in which children take the roles of father or mother or children and pretend to interact like adults
- humming
- the act of singing with closed lips
- hunt
- the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport
- hurling
- a traditional Irish game resembling hockey; played by two teams of 15 players each
- hydroplane racing
- racing in high-speed motor boats
- hymnody
- the act of singing psalms or hymns
- ice show
- any entertainment performed by ice skaters
- ice skating
- skating on ice
- in-fighting
- boxing at close quarters
- interpretation
- the act of interpreting something as expressed in an artistic performance
- interpretative dance
- a form of modern dance in which the dancer's movements depict an emotion or tell a story
- intonation
- singing by a soloist of the opening piece of plainsong
- Isthmian Games
- the ancient Panhellenic games held biennially on the Isthmus of Corinth in the first and third years of each Olympiad
- jackknife
- a dive in which the diver bends to touch the ankles before straightening out
- jai alai
- a Basque or Spanish game played in a court with a ball and a wickerwork racket
- jam session
- an impromptu jazz concert
- jazz festival
- a festival that features performances by jazz artists
- jig
- any of various old rustic dances involving kicking and leaping
- jitterbug
- a jerky American dance that was popular in the 1940s
- judo
- a sport adapted from jujitsu (using principles of not resisting) and similar to wrestling; developed in Japan
- juggle
- throwing and catching several objects simultaneously
- jumping
- the act of participating in an athletic competition in which you must jump
- karaoke
- singing popular songs accompanied by a recording of an orchestra (usually in bars or nightclubs)
- Kwanzaa
- a festival featuring African-American culture; celebrated between Christmas and New Year
- lacrosse
- a game invented by American Indians; now played by two teams who use long-handled rackets to catch and carry and throw the ball toward the opponents' goal
- lancers
- a quadrille for 8 or 16 couples
- landler
- a moderately slow Austrian country dance in triple time; involves spinning and clapping
- last hurrah
- a final performance or effort (especially before retirement)
- lawn tennis
- a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court
- lecture demonstration
- presentation of an example of what the lecturer is discoursing about
- leg-pull
- as a joke: trying to make somebody believe something that is not true
- light show
- a display of colored lights moving in shifting patterns
- lindy
- an energetic American dance that was popular in the 1930s (probably named for the aviator Charles Lindbergh)
- longways
- country dancing performed with couples in two long lines facing each other
- lucky dip
- a game in which prizes (e.g., candies or coins) are concealed in a container and for a small sum a player can draw one out at random
- Ludi Saeculares
- the centennial rites and games of ancient Rome that marked the commencement of a new generation (100 years representing the longest life in a generation); observances may have begun as early as the 5th century BC and lasted well into the Christian era
- luging
- riding a light one-man toboggan
- mambo
- a Latin American dance similar in rhythm to the rumba
- match play
- golf scoring by holes won
- mazurka
- a Polish national dance in triple time
- medal play
- golf scoring by total strokes taken
- meshugaas
- (Yiddish) craziness; senseless behavior or activity
- militainment
- entertainment with military themes in which the Department of Defense is celebrated
- mind game
- any game designed to exercise the intellect
- miniature golf
- a novelty version of golf played with golf balls and putters on a miniature course featuring many obstacles
- minuet
- a stately court dance in the 17th century
- modern ballet
- a style of ballet that admits a wider variety of movements
- modern dance
- a style of theatrical dancing that is not as restricted as classical ballet; movements are expressive of feelings
- morris dance
- any of various English folk dances performed by dancers in costume
- motorcycling
- riding a motorcycle
- musical performance
- the act of performing music
- natural
- (craps) a first roll of 7 or 11 that immediately wins the stake
- nauch
- an intricate traditional dance in India performed by professional dancing girls
- Nemean Games
- the ancient Panhellenic games held biennially at Nemea in the second and fourth years of each Olympiad
- netball
- a team game that resembles basketball; a soccer ball is to be thrown so that it passes through a ring on the top of a post
- night game
- a game played under artificial illumination at night
- night life
- the entertainment available to people seeking nighttime diversion
- no-hit game
- a game in which a pitcher allows the opposing team no hits
- nude dancing
- erotic dancing with little or no clothing
- numbers
- an illegal daily lottery
- Oktoberfest
- an autumn festival that involves merrymaking and drinking beer
- Olympian Games
- the ancient Panhellenic celebration at Olympia in honor of Zeus; held every 4 years beginning in 776 BC
- one-night stand
- a performance in one place on one night only
- one-step
- an early ballroom dance; precursor to the fox-trot
- outdoor game
- an athletic game that is played outdoors
- overcast
- a cast that falls beyond the intended spot
- pachinko
- a Japanese pinball game played on a vertical board
- paintball
- a game that simulates military combat; players on one team try to eliminate players on the opposing team by shooting capsules of paint at them
- pallone
- an Italian game similar to tennis
- parade
- a visible display
- parimutuel
- betting where winners share the total amount wagered
- parlay
- a series of wagers in which the winnings from one wager are used as a stake for the subsequent wagers
- part-singing
- singing with three or more voice parts
- party game
- a game to amuse guests at a party
- pas de quatre
- (ballet) a dance for four people
- pas de trois
- (ballet) a dance for three people
- pas seul
- (ballet) a solo dance or dance figure
- paso doble
- a ballroom dance in fast duple time
- pavan
- a stately court dance of the 16th and 17th centuries
- perfect game
- a game in which a pitcher does not allow any opposing player to reach base
- performance
- the act of presenting a play or a piece of music or other entertainment
- phrase
- dance movements that are linked in a single choreographic sequence
- piaffe
- a cadenced trot executed by the horse in one spot
- pigsticking
- the sport of hunting wild boar with spears
- pinball
- a game played on a sloping board; the object is to propel marbles against pins or into pockets
- piping
- playing a pipe or the bagpipes
- piss-up
- vulgar expression for a bout of heavy drinking
- place bet
- a bet that a horse will finish a race no worse than second
- playing
- the act of playing a musical instrument
- pleasantry
- an agreeable or amusing remark
- polka
- a Bohemian dance with 3 steps and a hop in fast time
- polo
- a game similar to field hockey but played on horseback using long-handled mallets and a wooden ball
- pony-trekking
- a sport in which people ride across country on ponies
- practical joke
- a prank or trick played on a person (especially one intended to make the victim appear foolish)
- prestidigitation
- manual dexterity in the execution of tricks
- prisoner's base
- a children's game; two teams capture opposing players by tagging them and taking them to their own base
- production
- (law) the act of exhibiting in a court of law
- professional baseball
- playing baseball for money
- professional basketball
- playing basketball for money
- professional boxing
- boxing for money
- professional football
- football played for pay
- professional golf
- playing golf for money
- professional tennis
- playing tennis for money
- professional wrestling
- wrestling for money
- program
- a performance (or series of performances) at a public presentation
- promenade
- a square dance figure; couples march counterclockwise in a circle
- pushball
- a game using a leather ball six feet in diameter; the two side try to push it across the opponents' goal
- pyrrhic
- an ancient Greek dance imitating the motions of warfare
- Pythian Games
- the ancient Panhellenic celebration at Delphi held every four years in the third year of the Olympiad in honor of Apollo
- quadrille
- a square dance of 5 or more figures for 4 or more couples
- quickstep
- a ballroom dance with both quick and slow steps
- racing
- the sport of engaging in contests of speed
- racquetball
- a game played on a handball court with short-handled rackets
- raffle
- a lottery in which the prizes are goods rather than money
- rag
- a boisterous practical joke (especially by college students)
- rain dance
- a ritual dance intended to bring rain
- raree-show
- a street show
- reinterpretation
- a new or different interpretation
- revel
- unrestrained merrymaking
- rhumba
- a folk dance in duple time that originated in Cuba with Spanish and African elements; features complex footwork and violent movement
- rhumba
- a ballroom dance based on the Cuban folk dance
- ring dance
- a folk dance; dancers form a circle
- ring-a-rosy
- a children's game in which the players dance around in a circle and at a given signal all squat
- road show
- a show on tour
- rock climbing
- the sport or pastime of scaling rock masses on mountain sides (especially with the help of ropes and special equipment)
- rodeo
- an exhibition of cowboy skills
- roller skating
- skating on wheels
- rollerblading
- skating using Rollerblades
- rope-a-dope
- a boxing tactic: pretending to be trapped against the ropes while your opponent wears himself out throwing punches
- roulette
- a gambling game in which players bet on which compartment of a revolving wheel a small ball will come to rest in
- round dance
- a ballroom dance characterized by revolving movement
- round
- the activity of playing 18 holes of golf
- rounders
- an English ball game similar to baseball
- row
- the act of rowing as a sport
- Royal National Eisteddfod
- an eisteddfod with competitions in music and drama and poetry and the fine arts
- rugby
- a form of football played with an oval ball
- running
- the act of participating in an athletic competition involving running on a track
- samba
- a lively ballroom dance from Brazil
- saraband
- a stately court dance of the 17th and 18th centuries; in slow time
- sashay
- a square dance figure; partners circle each other taking sideways steps
- Saturnalia
- an orgiastic festival in ancient Rome in honor of Saturn
- scat
- singing jazz; the singer substitutes nonsense syllables for the words of the song and tries to sound like a musical instrument
- schottische
- a German round dance resembling a slow polka
- schtick
- (Yiddish) a prank or piece of clowning
- Scottish reel
- a lively dance of Scottish Highlanders; marked by circular moves and gliding steps
- scuba diving
- skin diving with scuba apparatus
- sculling
- rowing by a single oarsman in a racing shell
- sea bathing
- bathing in the sea or ocean
- sexcapade
- a sexual escapade; an illicit affair
- shag
- a lively dance step consisting of hopping on each foot in turn
- sheepshearing
- a festival held at the time sheep are normally sheared
- shimmy
- lively dancing (usually to ragtime music) with much shaking of the shoulders and hips
- shinney
- a simple version of hockey played by children on the streets (or on ice or on a field) using a ball or can as the puck
- shovelboard
- a game in which players use long sticks to shove wooden disks onto the scoring area marked on a smooth surface
- show
- the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining
- showjumping
- riding horses in competitions over set courses to demonstrate skill in jumping over obstacles
- sideshow
- a minor show that is part of a larger one (as at the circus)
- singalong
- informal group singing of popular songs
- singing
- the act of singing vocal music
- singles
- tennis played with one person on each side
- singles
- badminton played with one person on each side
- skank
- a rhythmic dance to reggae music performed by bending forward and extending the hands while bending the knees
- skateboarding
- the sport of skating on a skateboard
- skating
- the sport of gliding on skates
- ski jumping
- the act of performing a jump on skis from a high ramp overhanging a snow covered slope
- skiing
- a sport in which participants must travel on skis
- skin diving
- underwater swimming without any more breathing equipment than a snorkel
- skinny-dip
- a naked swim
- slam dance
- a form of dancing in which dancers slam into one another; normally performed to punk rock
- sledding
- the sport of riding on a sled or sleigh
- snake dance
- a ceremonial dance (as by the Hopi) in which snakes are handled or invoked
- snipe hunt
- an elaborate practical joke in which the unsuspecting victim hunts a snipe and is typically left in the dark holding a bag and waiting for the snipe to run into it
- snorkel diving
- skin diving with a snorkel
- social dancing
- dancing as part of a social occasion
- soft-shoe
- tap dancing wearing shoes that have soft soles
- softball
- a game closely resembling baseball that is played on a smaller diamond and with a ball that is larger and softer
- solfege
- a voice exercise; singing scales or runs to the same syllable
- solfege
- singing using solfa syllables to denote the notes of the scale of C major
- spar
- making the motions of attack and defense with the fists and arms; a part of training for a boxer
- spectator sport
- a sport that many people find entertaining to watch
- speed skating
- competitive skating on speed skates (usually around an oval course)
- spelaeology
- the pastime of exploring caves
- spiccato
- bowing in such a way that the bow bounces lightly off the strings
- spin
- a distinctive interpretation (especially as used by politicians to sway public opinion)
- sporting life
- active interest in gambling on sports events
- square dance
- American country dancing in which couples form squares
- squash
- a game played in an enclosed court by two or four players who strike the ball with long-handled rackets
- steal
- a stolen base; an instance in which a base runner advances safely during the delivery of a pitch (without the help of a hit or walk or passed ball or wild pitch)
- stickball
- a form of baseball played in the streets with a rubber ball and broomstick handle
- stomp
- a dance involving a rhythmical stamping step
- stopping
- the kind of playing that involves pressing the fingers on the strings of a stringed instrument to control the pitch
- strip
- a form of erotic entertainment in which a dancer gradually undresses to music
- sumo
- a Japanese form of wrestling; you lose if you are forced out of a small ring or if any part of your body (other than your feet) touches the ground
- sun bathing
- immersing the body in sunlight
- sun dance
- a ceremonial dance performed by Amerindians at the summer solstice
- superfecta
- a bet that you can pick the first four finishers in a race in the right order
- surf casting
- casting (artificial) bait far out into the ocean (up to 200 yards) with the waves breaking around you
- surfboarding
- the sport of riding a surfboard toward the shore on the crest of a wave
- swallow dive
- a dive in which the diver arches the back with arms outstretched before entering the water
- sweepstakes
- a lottery in which the prize consists of the money paid by the participants
- swim
- the act of swimming
- swing
- a square dance figure; a pair of dancers join hands and dance around a point between them
- sword dance
- any of various dances by men who step nimbly over swords or flourish them in the air
- tango
- a ballroom dance of Latin-American origin
- tap dance
- a dance step tapped out audibly with the feet
- tarantella
- a lively whirling Italian dance for two persons
- team sport
- a sport that involves competition between teams of players
- teasing
- playful vexation
- tetherball
- a game with two players who use rackets to strike a ball that is tethered to the top of a pole; the object is to wrap the string around the pole
- thoroughbred racing
- the sport of racing thoroughbred horses
- three-day event
- an equestrian competition; the first day is dressage; the second is cross-country jumping; the third is stadium jumping
- three-ring circus
- a circus with simultaneous performances in three rings
- throw
- casting an object in order to determine an outcome randomly
- tobogganing
- riding on a long light sled with low handrails
- toe dance
- a dance performed on tiptoe
- tombola
- a lottery in which tickets are drawn from a revolving drum
- touch football
- a version of American football in which the ball carrier is touched rather than tackled
- track and field
- participating in athletic sports performed on a running track or on the field associated with it
- transposition
- (music) playing in a different key from the key intended; moving the pitch of a piece of music upwards or downwards
- treasure hunt
- a game in which players try to find hidden articles by using a series of clues
- troll
- angling by drawing a baited line through the water
- turkey trot
- an early ragtime one-step
- twist
- social dancing in which couples vigorously twist their hips and arms in time to the music; was popular in the 1960s
- two-step
- a ballroom dance in duple meter; marked by sliding steps
- ultimate frisbee
- a game between two teams whose players try to toss a Frisbee to one another until they cross the opponents goal; possession changes hands when the Frisbee is intercepted or touches the ground or goes out of bounds
- valse
- a ballroom dance in triple time with a strong accent on the first beat
- victory celebration
- a celebration following a victory in a battle or sports competition
- Virginia reel
- an American country dance which starts with the couples facing each other in two lines
- virtual reality
- a hypothetical three-dimensional visual world created by a computer; user wears special goggles and fiber optic gloves etc., and can enter and move about in this world and interact with objects as if inside it
- volleyball
- a game in which two teams hit an inflated ball over a high net using their hands
- war dance
- a ceremonial dance performed before a battle or after a victory
- water polo
- a game played in a swimming pool by two teams of swimmers who try to throw an inflated ball into the opponents' goal
- water-skiing
- skiing on water while being towed by a motorboat
- whoopee
- noisy and boisterous revelry
- word play
- playing on words or speech sounds
- yodeling
- singing by changing back and forth between the chest voice and a falsetto