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sportsman

[ spawrts-muh n, spohrts- ]
/ ˈspɔrts mən, ˈspoʊrts- /
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noun, plural sports·men.

a man who engages in sports, especially in some open-air sport, as hunting, fishing, racing, etc.
a person who exhibits qualities especially esteemed in those who engage in sports, as fairness, courtesy, good temper, etc.

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RELATED WORDS

clean, fair, forthright, good, honest, honorable, sincere, sporting

Nearby words

  1. sports writer,
  2. sportscast,
  3. sportscaster,
  4. sportscasting,
  5. sportsdom,
  6. sportsmanly,
  7. sportsmanship,
  8. sportsperson,
  9. sportster,
  10. sportswear

Origin of sportsman

First recorded in 1700–10; sports + -man
Related formssports·man·like, sports·man·ly, adjectivesports·man·li·ness, nounun·sports·man·like, adjectiveun·sports·man·ly, adjective, adverb

Usage note

See -man.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sportsmanlike

British Dictionary definitions for sportsmanlike

sportsman

/ (ˈspɔːtsmən) /

noun plural -men

a man who takes part in sports, esp of the outdoor type
a person who exhibits qualities highly regarded in sport, such as fairness, generosity, observance of the rules, and good humour when losing
Derived Formssportsman-like or sportsmanly, adjectivesportsmanship, noun
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
Word Origin and History for sportsmanlike

sportsman

n.

1706, from sports + man (n.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper