Sportful

sport  (spôrt, sprt)

n.

1.

a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

b. A particular form of this activity.

2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

3. An active pastime; recreation.

4.

a. Mockery; jest: He made sport of his own looks.

b. An object of mockery, jest, or play: treated our interests as sport.

c. A joking mood or attitude: She made the remark in sport.

5.

a. One known for the manner of one's acceptance of rules, especially of a game, or of a difficult situation: a poor sport.

b. Informal One who accepts rules or difficult situations well.

c. Informal A pleasant companion: was a real sport during the trip.

6. Informal

a. A person who lives a jolly, extravagant life.

b. A gambler at sporting events.

7. Biology An organism that shows a marked change from the normal type or parent stock, typically as a result of mutation.

8. Maine See summercater. See Regional Note at summercater.

9. Obsolete Amorous dalliance; lovemaking.

v. sport·ed, sport·ing, sports

v.intr.

1. To play or frolic.

2. To joke or trifle.

3. Biology To mutate.

v.tr.

To display or show off: "His shoes sported elevated heels" (Truman Capote).

adj. or sports

1. Of, relating to, or appropriate for sports: sport fishing; sports equipment.

2. Designed or appropriate for outdoor or informal wear: a sport shirt.

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[Middle English sporte, short for disporte, from Old French desport, pleasure, from desporter, to divert; see disport.]

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sportful adj.

sportful·ly adv.

sportful·ness n.