parkour

American  

[pahr-koor, -kawr, -kohr] / pɑrˈkʊər, -ˈkɔr, -ˈkoʊr /

noun

1. the sport of moving along a route, typically in a city, trying to get around or through various obstacles in the quickest and most efficient manner possible, as by jumping, climbing, or running.

   his amazing parkour skills.

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parkour British  

/ ˈpɑːkˌɔː /

noun

1. Also called: free running.  the sport or activity of running through urban areas while performing various gymnastic manoeuvres over or on man-made obstacles such as walls and buildings

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Etymology

Origin of parkour

2000-05; alteration of French parcours course, route < Medieval Latin percursus < Latin percurrere to run through < per- through + currere to run

Example Sentences

Nomali is a parkour legend and uses those skills - running, jumping, climbing, and vaulting over obstacles - to retrieve 70 African sacred and cultural objects.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

Before working in film, Jenkin was accomplished in parkour.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024

When ANYmal was introduced to a real-life parkour challenge, it managed to climb and vault between wooden crates and scurry under tables—all while moving at an impressive pace of up to 2 meters per second.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 21, 2024

In terms of the action sequences, “Clone Wars” and “Samurai Jack” are both first-rate, but the former’s combination of light-saber fighting and Jedi parkour, gymnastics and force-pushes makes for a more dynamic watch.

From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2023

She once scaled a rooftop at work, in their virtual parkour station, but that was an illusion.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera