Sumos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A style of Japanese wrestling characterized by large competitors engaging in intense physical combat as they attempt to force each other out of a circular ring
2. A sport originating in Japan where wrestlers compete by trying to push their opponent out of a designated area using various techniques and strength
3. A traditional Japanese combat sport involving hefty athletes who aim to unbalance their rivals and win by any means necessary within a defined space

Etymology: "Sumos" is simply the plural of "sumo," the form English speakers use when referring to more than one wrestler. The base word was taken directly from Japanese, where 相撲 (sumō) names the traditional wrestling sport. The Japanese term is written with characters that can be read as "mutual" or "together" and "strike" or "hit," a hint at the contest's grappling origins, though the characters were applied to the sport over centuries rather than coined as a single description. For English readers, the borrowing is a reminder that the word arrived as a foreign term, not a translation. English kept the Japanese spelling and pronunciation rather than rendering the sport with a native name like "wrestling." Its plural follows the ordinary English pattern of adding "-s," so "sumos" needs no special Japanese plural form.

Synonyms: wrestlers