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yips

[ yips ]
/ yɪps /
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plural noun Sports.
the sudden and unexplained loss of a motor skill used in a sport, as with a smooth golf swing reduced to a stuttering one, experienced by athletes who had previously mastered the required movements.
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Origin of yips

First recorded in 1960–65; origin obscure

Words nearby yips

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use yips in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for yips

yips
/ (jɪps) /

pl n
the yips informal (in sport, originally esp golf) nervous twitching or tension that destroys concentration and spoils performance

Word Origin for yips

C20: of unknown origin
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
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