Racegoers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who go to horse races, either to watch the contests or to place bets on the horses running in them
2. Those who attend a horse racing event as spectators, often hoping to wager money on the outcome of each race
3. Individuals present at the track on race day to observe the horses compete and to gamble on the results

Etymology: "Racegoers" is the plural of "racegoer," a compound formed from "race" and "goer." The second element, "goer," is an agent noun built on the verb "go," so a racegoer is simply one who goes to races, and the plural refers to a crowd of such people. Compounds of this pattern, where "goer" is attached to a noun naming an event or place, are a common and productive way in English to name people who regularly attend something, as with "moviegoer" or "churchgoer." The word is a transparent formation, with no change in sense from its parts. Its meaning rests on the ordinary sense of "race" as a contest of speed, which the compound carries over to the event itself, and on "goer," which supplies the idea of attendance.

Synonyms: punter, spectator