cruiserweight

American

[kroo-zer-weyt] / ˈkru zərˌweɪt /

noun

British.

a light-heavyweight boxer.

cruiserweight British

/ ˈkruːzəˌweɪt /

noun

boxing another term (esp Brit) for light heavyweight

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cruiserweight

First recorded in 1915–20; so called by metaphor, since a cruiser is the second heaviest naval ship

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.

Former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson described it as his "superpower".

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

On Thursday, he weighed in at exactly 245, while Paul tipped the scales at 216, up from his usual 200 at cruiserweight.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Paul has operated largely at cruiserweight for much of his boxing career, while Joshua is a two-time heavyweight world champion.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

Former cruiserweight world champion Lawrence Okolie spent time with Paul and, according to the Londoner's trainer Gallagher, returned "impressed by how much better Paul was than people think".

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

Paul, who is a huge underdog in the heavyweight contest as a natural cruiserweight, was no less incendiary in response.

From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025

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