figure skating

American  

noun

1. ice skating in which the skater traces intricate patterns on the ice.

2. a type of ice skating developed from this, emphasizing jumps, spins, and other movements that combine athletic skills and dance techniques.

3. a competitive sport in which the skater is required to execute school figures and to perform one or more original programs of difficult jumps, spins, etc., to a musical setting.

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figure skating British  

noun

1. ice skating in which the skater traces outlines of selected patterns

2. the whole art of skating, as distinct from skating at speed

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Other Word Forms

• figure skater
  noun

Etymology

Origin of figure skating

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

That’s relatively common in figure skating for gold medal winners who face a rush of media and commercial opportunities after a grueling four-year Olympic buildup.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu smiled through a monster free program, clinching the figure skating gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Milan on Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

The most likely AIN representative to win gold was Russian women's figure skating champion Adeliia Petrosian, however the 18-year-old finished sixth after falling during her free skate.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Newly crowned Olympic women's figure skating champion Alysa Liu says she wants her story to "inspire others" after the golden return of a former child prodigy who suffered burnout.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

The short-distance races, following the figure skating, were all within the oval of the principal arena.

From The Girls of Central High Aiding the Red Cross Or Amateur Theatricals for a Worthy Cause by Morrison, Gertrude W.