Thorpe

American  

[thawrp] / θɔrp /

noun

1. James Francis Jim, 1888–1953, U.S. track-and-field athlete and football and baseball player.

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Thorpe British  

/ θɔːp /

noun

1. Ian . born 1982, Australian swimmer; won three gold medals at the 2000 Olympic Games, six gold medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and two gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games.

2. James Francis. 1888–1953, American football player and athlete: Olympic pentathlon and decathlon champion (1912)

3. Jeremy. born 1929, British politician; leader of the Liberal party (1967–76)

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Example Sentences

There’s a good bit of buzz around this one, coming from superproducer David E. Kelley and adapted from the novel by Rufi Thorpe.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Critics say the firm, which runs attractions including Alton Towers in Staffordshire and Thorpe Park in Surrey, will be unfairly targeting those with a hidden disability.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Similarly, the author argues that despite Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowls, Jim Thorpe, the 1920s star who played both ways without modern coaching, was naturally more gifted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Sample question: In “Northanger Abbey,” whom does Isabella Thorpe have an affair with?

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2025

Some of us wanted nothing more than to become one of those heroic Indian athletes like Jim Thorpe, who wore a sports uniform and did great things on the playing field.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac