Scorers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who successfully complete a goal in a sport or game
2. Players recognized for accumulating points or achievements in a competitive setting
3. Participants who are credited with bringing about a successful outcome, especially in scoring points or objectives

Etymology: The plural "scorers" is simply the plural of "scorer," so the real story belongs to the base word. "Score" descends from Old Norse "skor," meaning a notch or incision, and the notion of cutting a mark into a tally stick or surface is what gives the sport sense its roots. The Old Norse word itself came from a Proto-Germanic root meaning to cut, which is the same idea that later let English speakers keep count by carving lines. The "-er" ending has a longer ancestry. It passed from Latin "-arius," which denoted a person connected with a trade or role, into Old French and then into Middle English, while Old English had its own "-ere" suffix doing similar work. English therefore combined a Norse-derived noun with a suffix of Latin origin, a pairing that is typical of the mixed vocabulary of the language. The result was a plain English agent noun meaning one who makes the notch, or in modern usage, the one who records the point.

Synonyms: players, point-getters, goal scorers, run scorers