Prizefighter

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A boxer who participates in professional matches for cash rewards and recognition within the sport of boxing
2. An individual trained in boxing who competes primarily to win money and titles, often in regulated contests
3. A competitor skilled in boxing who fights in matches where financial rewards are at stake

Etymology: "Prizefighter" describes someone who fights for a prize, and in English that prize was originally money. The word combines "prize" with "fighter," but the compound is built on "prizefight," which is where the real history lies. A prizefight was a contest held for a stake or purse, and the fighter was simply the person who took part in one. The sense of the fight as a paid, organized match came first, and the noun for the man doing the fighting followed from it. Over time the word narrowed. Early prizefights were not limited to bare-knuckle boxing and could involve other combat, but the term came to be applied mainly to professional boxers competing for money. So a word that once described any combatant risking a purse now means a boxer who makes a living from the ring.

Synonyms: boxer, champion, fighter, pugilist, warrior