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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

yip, yipe, yipes, yippee, yippie, yips, yird, yirr, yite, yitten, Yizkor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to yips

groan, growl, hoot, moan, outcry, roar, shriek, wail, whimper, yelp, howl, screech, squawk, squeal, whoop, cry, snarl, yap, blare, holler

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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