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Naismith

American  
[ney-smith] / ˈneɪ smɪθ /

noun

  1. James, 1861–1939, U.S. physical-education teacher and originator of basketball, born in Canada.


Naismith British  
/ ˈneɪsmɪθ /

noun

  1. James. 1861–1939, Canadian sportsman and coach; inventor of basketball

"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

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.

Mr. Naismith deals with the evidence thoroughly, but in the absence of a narrative source, we are left with little idea of Offa as a person.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

Mr. Naismith, a professor of medieval history at Cambridge University, notes that he came to the throne “under murky circumstances.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

His regular-season wins are the sixth most in NBA history and he will be enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this year.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

With the help of Charlotte assistant Dicker and Scotland assistant Steven Naismith, BBC Scotland gets the lowdown on "one of the best facilities in the MLS" and the national team's summer set-up.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Ask her,—upstairs there, God bless her!—ask her if she knows Chester Naismith.

From Green Fancy by McCutcheon, George Barr

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