slalom

American  

[slah-luhm, -lohm] / ˈslɑ ləm, -loʊm /

noun

1. Skiing. a downhill race over a winding and zigzag course marked by poles or gates.

2. any winding or zigzag course marked by obstacles or barriers, as one in which automobiles are tested for maneuverability or drivers for reaction time.

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verb (used without object)

1. Skiing. to ski in or as if in a slalom.

2. to move in a winding or zigzag fashion; weave.

3. to follow a course with many twists and turns.

adjective

1. of, for, or designating a zigzag course with obstacles, barriers, or the like.

   an excellent slalom skier.

slalom British  

/ ˈslɑːləm /

noun

1. skiing a race, esp one downhill, over a winding course marked by artificial obstacles

2. a similar type of obstacle race in canoes

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verb

1. (intr) to take part in a slalom

Usage

What does slalom mean? Slalom refers to the type of skiing and snowboarding event that takes place on a winding, downhill course marked by a series of boundary poles or gates, which the racer is required to stay between while attempting to cross the finish line in the shortest possible time.There are several slalom events in the Winter Olympics. In skiing, these include the slalom as well as the giant slalom and the super giant slalom (popularly called Super G), which feature longer courses and more widely spaced gates. In snowboarding, there is an event called the parallel giant slalom. (In slalom events, the word parallel indicates that two racers compete simultaneously on identically spaced courses).Such competitive skiing events are categorized as types of Alpine skiing (in contrast with Nordic skiing, which includes cross-country skiing and ski jumping). Alpine skiing is sometimes more generally called downhill skiing. The term downhill is also used in a more specific way as the name of the Alpine skiing event that takes place on a relatively straight downhill course—without gates.There are also slalom events in the Paralympic Winter Games.In slalom events, the gates or poles are laid out in different variations and combinations based on the course and the competition rules. It is common for racers to hit the gates as they pass them in order to take the most direct (and fastest) route to the next gate.Example: I like the speed of the downhill event, but I prefer the added challenge of slalom.

Etymology

Origin of slalom

1920–25; < Norwegian slalåm, equivalent to sla ( d ) sloping + låm track

Example Sentences

Brazil's Lucas Pinheiro Braathen took the men's giant slalom title to register a first Winter Olympic gold won by a South American nation.

From BBC

Snowboard gold medallist Benjamin Karl says he is "99 percent" sure that parallel giant slalom will remain on the Winter Olympics programme despite fears it will be axed.

From Barron's

After U.S. teammate Breezy Johnson set her up with a first-place finish in the downhill, Shiffrin finished 15th in the slalom portion of the women’s combined and the Americans took fourth.

From Los Angeles Times

American star Mikaela Shiffrin cemented her place among the greats of alpine skiing as she won Olympic slalom gold in emphatic fashion.

From BBC

She racked up more World Cup wins than anyone in history and dominated the slalom like no one else.

From The Wall Street Journal