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

Downs: On “Broad City,” I had to learn and do parkour.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2025

And then he does a bunch of parkour moves.

From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2024

Before working in film, Jenkin was accomplished in parkour.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024

I looked it up and it’s about parkour, which is a kind of street gymnastics, which explains how he’s able to do all the crazy stuff that he does.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon