Tiebreaks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Extra games or rounds played to decide a winner when competitors finish with equal scores in a match or contest
2. Decisive playoff rounds used to settle a contest that ended level, such as the extra games in a tennis set
3. Additional play held to determine the victor when the scores are even, often a shortened final round in a match

Etymology: Tiebreaks is simply the plural of "tiebreak", so the story is really the story of its two parts. "Tie" comes from Old English "tiġe", a rope or cord used for fastening, and "break" comes from Old English "brecan", to break apart. Combined, a tiebreak is a rule or contest that breaks a deadlock between competitors who finished level. The compound is a plain English formation, built from familiar native words rather than borrowed from another language, and the sporting sense developed naturally from the everyday idea of breaking a tie. Its plural takes the regular "-s" ending, so "tiebreaks" refers to several such decisive rules or contests, most often in tennis and board games.

Synonyms: playoff, runoff, shootout