Bonspiel

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tournament or match in the sport of curling, typically involving teams competing against each other
2. A formal curling competition or series of games in which teams play to determine a winner
3. An organized curling event or contest where players participate in matches following established rules

Etymology: A bonspiel is a curling tournament, and the name is a compound of two words whose meanings are fairly plain. The first part is probably Dutch "bond", meaning league or alliance, and the second is "spel", meaning game or play. The pairing suggests a game played between organised teams or clubs, though the precise reasoning behind the compound is not fully settled. The word reached English from Scots, where it appears in Middle Scots as "bonspele". Curling has been a long-standing winter pastime in Scotland, and the term came to name the organised competitions that grew up around it. Its spelling and sound reflect the Scots form rather than standard English, which is a useful clue that the word belongs to Scotland's own sporting vocabulary.

Synonyms: tournament, competition, match