Autocross

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɔːtəʊˌkɹɒs/

Definitions

1. A competitive motorsport event where drivers race modified cars on a closed course featuring various terrain and challenges
2. A racing competition characterized by formatted tracks where drivers maneuver specialized vehicles against the clock on diverse surfaces
3. A type of motorsport where participants drive specially tuned cars on a predetermined off-road circuit that includes obstacles and varying terrain conditions

Etymology: Autocross is a compound built from two pieces that had nothing to do with each other at first: "auto", short for automobile, and "cross", shortened from "cross-country". The "cross-country" element points to the older sport of racing over rough open ground, which the new name borrowed to describe a course laid out on grass, gravel or dirt rather than on a paved track. The combination is a plain technical coinage rather than a story with a famous inventor. Its meaning follows directly from its parts: a car race run across country-style terrain. The Oxford English Dictionary records the term in its online edition, which was launched in 2000, so the entry reflects a word that had become established in motorsport language by then.

Synonyms: car racing, motorsport, rallycross, time trials, speed trial