clap skate

American

Or clapskate,

noun

a type of speed skate with a blade attached at the heel by a hinge, allowing the full length of the blade to remain on the ice for a longer time and increasing skating speed.

Etymology

Origin of clap skate

First recorded in 1995–2000; loan translation of Dutch klapschaats; see origin at clap ¹ ( def. ), skate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However, in a clap skate, the front of the boot is hinged, allowing the back of the boot to rise off the skate.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2018

The sport of speed skating is at one of those pivotal junctures, with good old tradition being upended by a Dutch contraption called the clap skate.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023