keirin

British

/ ˈkeɪrɪn /

noun

a cycling race originating in Japan, in which groups of cyclists follow a pacesetter and then sprint for the last part of the race

"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 keirin

C20 Japanese

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.

The chaotic keirin is the only sprint event she has yet to win a major gold in, a target she maintains going into Santiago.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2025

Ellesse Andrews of New Zealand, who beat Finucane in the semi-finals, won sprint gold, beating Germany's Lea Friedrich to add to the keirin title she won earlier in the week.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2024

There was disappointment, however, for Jack Carlin in the velodrome as the Briton crashed in the last lap of the men's keirin final.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2024

For 21-year-old Finucane, appearing at her maiden Olympics, her latest bronze follows the same colour in the keirin as well as a historic team sprint gold.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2024

She went on to bag herself a bronze in the keirin and on Sunday hopes to go for gold again.

From BBC • Aug. 10, 2024

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