hopscotch

American  

[hop-skoch] / ˈhɒpˌskɒtʃ /

noun

1. a children's game in which a player tosses or kicks a small flat stone, beanbag, or other object into one of several numbered sections of a diagram marked on the pavement or ground and then hops on one foot over the lines from section to section and picks up the stone or object, usually while standing on one foot in an adjacent section.

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verb (used without object)

Informal.

1. to jump or leap from one place to another.

   Small birds hopscotched on the lawn.

2. to journey quickly and directly from one usually far place to another.

   ambassadors hopscotching from Moscow to Paris to London.

3. to move or pass through something, as a geographical area or a field of endeavor, making many brief stops.

   The candidate hopscotched through four states in two days.

4. to shift from one thing to another quickly or abruptly.

   The story hopscotches from the present to the past in a confusing way.

verb (used with object)

Informal.

1. to jump or leap over.

2. to cross over (a large area or distance) in one continuous action.

   She hopscotches the country in her private plane.

3. to cross or travel through erratically or abruptly.

   The escaped convicts hopscotched the valley.

hopscotch British  

/ ˈhɒpˌskɒtʃ /

noun

1. a children's game in which a player throws a small stone or other object to land in one of a pattern of squares marked on the ground and then hops over to it to pick it up

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Etymology

Origin of hopscotch

First recorded in 1795–1805; hop ¹ + scotch ¹

Explanation

Hopscotch is a game in which players hop on one foot between numbered squares on the ground. Playgrounds and driveways are common places to see hopscotch being played. To set up a game of hopscotch, you need a grid of numbered boxes, often drawn on the sidewalk with chalk. Each player takes turns tossing a small rock or other object into one of the boxes, hopping on one foot, picking up the rock, and hopping back. The object is for the rock to land inside each box without touching a line, and for the hopper to also avoid landing on a line or losing balance.

Example Sentences

He passed a firetruck, the red lights playing hopscotch on the pavement.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2025

“My beautiful, patient, understanding wife and my agent are very much against it and wish that I would just buy some sidewalk chalk and go hopscotch in the driveway,” he said.

From Seattle Times • May 15, 2024

The afternoon before the big day, my friends and I were playing hopscotch in the street when a white truck pulled up full of National Party T-shirts, balls and flags.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2024

Watching “Peanuts,” even as a kid, was like playing a game of cerebral hopscotch.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2023

But as we pass the sidewalk where we used to play hopscotch, I grow sad.

From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar

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