competing in sport

sport

sport [sport sports sported sporting] noun, verb   [spɔːt]    [spɔːrt]

noun

1. uncountable (BrE) (NAmE sports plural) activity that you do for pleasure and that needs physical effort or skill, usually done in a special area and according to fixed rules
• There are excellent facilities for sport and recreation.
• I'm not interested in sport.

• the use of drugs in sport

2. countable a particular form of sport
• What's your favourite sport?
• team/water sports
• a sports club

see also  blood sport, field sports, spectator sport, winter sports

3. countable (AustralE, NZE, informal) used as a friendly way of addressing sb, especially a man
• How are you doing, sport?

• Good on you, sport!

4. uncountable (formal) enjoyment or fun
• The comments were only made in sport.

• to make sport of (= to joke about) sb/sth

5. countable (biology) a plant or an animal that is different in a noticeable way from its usual type 
Word Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘pastime, entertainment’): shortening of disport.  
Culture:
sport and fitness
The British are very fond of sport, but many people prefer to watch rather than take part. Many go to watch football, cricket, etc. at the ground, but many more sit at home and watch sport on television.
Most people today take relatively little general exercise. Over the last 30 or 40 years lifestyles have changed considerably and many people now travel even the shortest distances by car or bus. Lack of exercise combined with eating too many fatty and sugary foods has meant that many people are becoming too fat. Experts are particularly concerned that children spend a lot of their free time watching television or playing computer games instead of being physically active. In recent years, however, there has been a growing interest in fitness among young adults and many belong to a sports club or gym.
In Britain most towns have an amateur football and cricket team, and people also have opportunities to play sports such as tennis and golf. Older people may play bowls. Some people go regularly to a sports centre or leisure centre where there are facilities for playing badminton and squash, and also a swimming pool. Some sports centres arrange classes in aerobics, step and keep-fit. Some people work out (= train hard) regularly at a local gym and do weight training and circuit training. A few people do judo or other martial arts. Others go running or jogging in their local area. For enthusiastic runners there are opportunities to take part in long-distance runs, such as the London marathon. Other people keep themselves fit by walking or cycling. Many people go abroad on a skiing holiday each year and there are several dry slopes and snowdomes in Britain where they can practise.
Membership of a sports club or gym can be expensive and not everyone can afford the subscription. Local sports centres are generally cheaper. Evening classes are also cheap and offer a wide variety of fitness activities ranging from yoga to jazz dancing. Some companies now provide sports facilities for their employees or contribute to the cost of joining a gym.
Sports play an important part in American life. Professional baseball and football games attract large crowds, and many people watch games on television. Although many parents complain about their children being couch potatoes (= people who spend a lot of time watching television), there are sports sessions at school for all ages. College students are usually also required to take physical education classes to complete their studies.
Many popular keep-fit activities began in the US. Charles Atlas, Arnold Schwarzenegger and others inspired people to take up bodybuilding (= strengthening and shaping the muscles). Many women joined the ‘fitness craze’ as a result of video workouts produced by stars such as Jane Fonda and Cindy Crawford which they could watch and take part in at home. New fitness books are continually being published and these create fashions for new types of exercise, such as wave aerobics, which is done in a swimming pool, and cardio kick-boxing, a form of aerobics which involves punching and kicking a punchbag. Many richer people employ their own personal trainer, either at home or at a fitness centre, to direct their exercise programme. Local YMCAs offer programmes which include aerobics, gym, running, weights, treadmills and rowing machines, as well as steam rooms and swimming. But many people just walk or jog in the local park or play informal games of baseball or football. 
Thesaurus:
sport noun
1. U (BrE) (AmE sports)
• facilities for sport and recreation
exercise • • workout • • aerobics • |BrE PE • |AmE P. E. •
do sport/exercises/a workout/aerobics/PE
2. C
• skiing, skating and other winter sports
game •
play/take part in a sport/game
team sports/games 
Example Bank:
• He does a lot of sport.
• I need to take up a sport to get fit.
• In the 1960s, the Soviet Union dominated the sport of gymnastics.
• In theory, basketball is a non-contact sport.
• She has a real passion for sport/sport.
• Sports coverage in the local newspaper is good.
• The council has allocated an extra £11 million to a new community sports club.
• We encourage the children to get involved in sport/sports.
• We played sports together when we were kids.
• a campaign to promote sport/sports among women
• a campaign to promote the sport among young people
• government funding for sports programmes/programs for girls and women
• popular field sports such as football
• sports betting on the Internet
• the construction of a new $250-million sports arena
• the inherent dangers of adventure sports such as mountaineering
• the school sports day
• the sport of boxing
• Did you do any sport at school?
• Did you play any sports in high school?
• Do you do a lot of sport?
• I'm not interested in sport.
• Which is the country's most popular spectator sport?
• skiing, skating and other winter sports
• sports shoes

Idiom: a sport