Skiing

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈski.ɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The sport of traveling over snow using skis typically involves descending slopes, either for enjoyment or competitive purposes
2. This activity includes gliding on skis over snow, often on mountain terrains for recreation or competition
3. The action of moving across snow-covered areas using skis for leisure or athletic challenge

Etymology: Skiing is a gerund and present participle of "ski," and the story of the verb begins with a plain piece of wood. The noun "ski" came into English from Norwegian, where it meant a split or cleft piece of timber, and it is related to Old English "sċīd," a "stick of wood," and to Old High German "skit," the ancestor of German "Scheit," meaning "log." The sense of a long, thin board for gliding over snow grew out of that old meaning of a split plank, so the sport is named for the material the boards were cut from. The Norwegian source also explains why the word looks like a sound rather than a spelling problem. Its origin lies in a Germanic root for splitting, which also gave English "shed," in the sense of a split-off piece or a structure that is cut loose from a larger building. The word has been a verb in English since the activity became familiar, so "skiing" names both the sport and the act of doing it.

Synonyms: snow sports, slalom, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, alpine skiing