Strawweights

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to combat sports competitors, particularly in mixed martial arts or boxing, who compete in a weight class that typically includes participants weighing up to a specific limit
2. These fighters are often noted for their speed and agility in the ring or cage
3. The term can also denote a lower weight class that features lighter athletes striving for success in their respective sports

Etymology: "Strawweights" is the plural of "strawweight", a term for the lightest class of fighters in boxing and similar sports. The word combines "straw", a stalk of dried grain, with "weight", a unit or measure of heaviness. The image is of something so light it weighs no more than a stalk of straw, which makes the compound a plain descriptive coinage rather than a term with a hidden backstory.