What are some basketball slang terms?

Basketball slang terms include:

Airball: A missed shot that never touches the hoop or backboard
Brick: A missed shot that bounces off the rim or backboard in a loud and awkward way
Dagger: A shot that seals the win
Rock: Another name for the ball
Shoot hoops: Play basketball
Slam dunk: When a player jumps and pushes the ball through the basket
The paint: The painted area of a basketball court near the goal

When you’re curious about basketball slang, QuillBot’s AI Chat can provide quick answers to your questions.

Sports terms: Other interesting questions

Is it World Series or World’s Series?: The name of the Major League Baseball (MLB) championship is the World Series (with no apostrophe). “World” is a singular noun, and it’s not possessive. People sometimes mistakenly write “World’s Series,” because the event used to be called the “World’s Championship Series.”

These types of mistakes are common, but luckily, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you with correct spelling and punctuation.
What is an enforcer in hockey?: An “enforcer” in hockey is a player whose role is to protect teammates and respond to aggressive opponents—often through physical play or fighting—instead of focusing on scoring.

QuillBot’s AI Chat can give more depth about enforcers or define other hockey terms.
What is offsides in hockey?: “Offsides” in hockey is a colloquial form of “offside,” when an attacking player enters the offensive zone before the puck does. To be “onside,” the puck must cross the blue line before the player.

If a player is offside, this stops play and results in a faceoff in the neutral zone. The offside rule exists to stop players from hanging out near the goal waiting for a long pass.

QuillBot’s AI Chat can provide more detail about offsides or teach you about other hockey terms.
What is a hat trick in hockey?: A “hat trick” in hockey is when a player scores three goals in a single game. It’s a notable achievement celebrated by players and fans.

This term is also used in other sports like cricket, soccer, and baseball.

Want to learn more about hat tricks or other hockey terms? QuillBot’s AI Chat is ready to answer your questions.
What is high sticking in hockey?: “High-sticking” in hockey is when a player raises their stick above shoulder height and makes contact with an opponent, the puck, or the goal.

High-sticking is considered a penalty and can result in a minor or major infraction depending on the severity.

For more information, or for questions about other hockey terms, ask QuillBot’s AI Chat.
What is a deke in hockey?: A “deke” in hockey is a move or fake a player uses to outsmart an opponent or goaltender. “Deke” is a shortened form of the noun “decoy.”

Understanding terms like “deke” will help you better keep up with the game. If you have questions about other hockey terms, ask QuillBot’s AI Chat.
What does bowled over mean?: If you are bowled over by something, it means that you are very impressed with it, often unexpectedly (e.g., “I was bowled over by the quality of the performances at the talent show”).

This idiom may come from an old cricket term meaning to hit the wooden “sticks” behind the batter.

Use QuillBot’s free AI chat to answer your questions about sporting idioms.
What does sticky wicket mean?: A sticky wicket is a British English cricket idiom meaning “a tricky situation” (e.g., “We’re on a bit of a sticky wicket here because we promised two important customers we’d deliver projects next week, and we’re going to have to disappoint one of them”).

It comes from a cricket term meaning a playing surface that is difficult to play on if you are a batter because it is wet and soft.

QuillBot’s free AI chat can answer your questions about sporting idioms.
Is it inning or innings?: In the sport of cricket, it is innings (with an “s”) not “inning.”

In cricket, an innings is a team’s “turn” to bat instead of field.

The plural of the cricket term “innings” is also “innings” (e.g., “In test cricket, the teams get two innings”).

The word “inning” (without an “s”) is a baseball term.

QuillBot’s free AI chat can answer your questions about cricket terms.
What are some pickleball slang terms?: Some common slang pickleball terms include:

The kitchen: The non-volley zone near the net.

Poaching: When a doubles player hits a shot their partner could have taken

A banger: A player who hits mainly powerful drive shots rather than delicate “dink” shots

QuillBot’s free AI Chat can help you understand confusing pickleball slang terms.
What are some funny pickleball terms?: There are lots of funny pickleball terms:

The non-volley zone is affectionately known as “the kitchen.”

A “dink” is a soft shot made by gently tapping the ball over the net so it lands close to your opponent’s kitchen.

An Erne—named after a well-known player—is a shot where you go outside the court to volley the ball close to the net in order to avoid touching the kitchen.

QuillBot’s free AI Chat can help you understand the funny pickleball terms you come across.
What are some common fencing terms used in English?: There are some common terms in English that come from either fencing or swordfighting. These include:

En garde

Touché

Riposte

Parry

Many fencing terms come from French because of its popularity and the importance of French when dueling and swordfighting were at their peak.

If you are unsure whether a word has come from fencing, you can ask QuillBot’s AI Chat to tell you.
Why is it called the World Series in baseball?: Because the World Series only involves US teams (and one Canadian team), it’s no wonder that people often ask how the World Series got its name.

It’s called the World Series because when the first event took place in 1903, the US was the only place in the world with professional baseball games. Therefore, the winning team at that time would be the literal world champion. Now, baseball is an Olympic sport, and there are international baseball leagues.

When you’re curious about baseball’s history or baseball terms, QuillBot’s free AI Chat can instantly answer your questions.
What is a break point in tennis?: The term break point in tennis describes a stage in a game when the player who is not serving (the receiver) can win the game if they win the next point (i.e., when the score is 0-40, 15-40, or 30-40, or there is a “deuce” and the receiver has the “advantage”). If the receiver wins this point, they have “broken” their opponent’s serve.

In professional tennis, most games “go with serve,” which means that the server wins the game. This is because having the serve makes it easier to win a point.

A break point is therefore a significant stage in a set because if you “hold” (win) all your service games in a set, you only need to break your opponent’s serve once to win the set, by six games to four or seven games to five.

You can ask QuillBot’s free AI chat for definitions of tennis terms like break point.
What are some baseball pitching terms?: Baseball pitchers use a variety of different pitches to make the hitter’s job harder (and prevent the other team from scoring). There are several baseball pitching terms for these techniques.

Fastball: Moves very fast, which gives the hitter less time to react

Curveball: Moves slowly, down, and to the side (also an idiom for an unexpected challenge in real life)

Changeup: Looks like a fastball but is actually slow (in order to deceive the hitter)

Knuckleball: Has a lot of spin, which is less predictable

Euphus: A very slow pitch with a high arch

Splitter: A fastball that moves downward

Slider: Similar to a curveball, but fast

Whether you’re new to baseball or brushing up on baseball terms, QuillBot’s free AI Chat can provide instant answers about all things baseball.
What are some football betting terms?: Football betting involves predicting the outcome of games and placing wagers based on odds set by sportsbooks. Football betting terms include:

Moneyline: A straight-up bet on which team will win the game

Over/under: A bet on whether the total number of points scored by both teams will be over or under a certain number

Parlay: A single bet that links multiple wagers together, in which all selections must win for the bet to pay out

Prop bet (proposition bet): A bet on specific events within a game, such as a player scoring a touchdown, total passing yards, or even the result of the coin toss

Futures: Long-term bets placed on events that will happen later in the season, like who will win the Super Bowl or MVP award

QuillBot’s AI Chat can provide instant answers to questions about football betting or football terms.
What are some fantasy football terms?: Fantasy football is a game where each person creates a fantasy team with real NFL players (from different teams) and earns points based on each player’s performance in real NFL games. Some of the most important fantasy football terms are:

Bust: A player who performs significantly worse than expected (based on their statistics)

Ceiling: The best a player can perform based on statistics

Floor: The minimum performance you can expect from a player

Sleeper: A player who performs better than expected

Stud: A consistently great football player

Have you tried QuillBot’s AI Chat for questions about sports? It can share fascinating sports trivia, and it’s completely free to use.
What are some slang football terms?: Some slang football terms (for North American football) include:

Audible: When a quarterback spontaneously uses a play that was different from the original plan

Gridiron: The football field

Flea flicker: A trick play where the quarterback hands off the ball to a running back, who throws it back to the quarterback

Hail Mary: A last-minute attempt to get a touchdown with a long pass, an outcome that is unlikely but the team’s only chance to win

Icing the kicker: Calling a timeout at the moment when the kicker is about to take an important kick

Pigskin: The football

When you’re curious about football terms, QuillBot’s AI Chat can provide fascinating facts within seconds.
What is the Caitlin Clark effect?: The Caitlin Clark effect is a term for the impact of Caitlin Clark’s skill and success on the popularity of women’s basketball. Clark was a Point Guard for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and began her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever in 2024.

During the 2023 and 2024 college women’s tournaments, Clark drew national attention by setting records for the most points and three-pointers. Her 2023 and 2024 NCAA championship games and her WNBA games have broken records for the most-watched women’s basketball games.

When you’re curious about basketball players and records, QuillBot’s free AI Chat can answer questions in seconds.
What are some basketball betting terms?: Basketball betting terms include:

Moneyline: A bet that’s only based on which team will win (rather than the points a team wins by)

Over/under: A bet on whether the total number of points scored by both teams will be over or under a certain number

Parlay: One wager that includes multiple selections

Prop bet: A bet on how well a team or player performs compared to their performance statistics (rather than the outcome of the game)

Future: A bet on which team will win a future division, conference, or championship or which players will win certain awards at the end of the season

Point spread betting: Wagering on the number of points a team is expected to win or lose by

Have you tried QuillBot’s AI Chat for questions about basketball terms? It answers questions in seconds, and it’s completely free to use.
What are some common sports idioms?: Some of the most common sports idioms in English include:

Down-and-out (boxing): Physically or financially weakened like a boxer who has been knocked down and is unconscious

Drop the ball (baseball, rugby, American football): To forget to do something or miss an opportunity

Gambit (boxing and chess): A calculated move

Get the ball rolling (various ball games): To start an activity

Hands down (horse racing): Unquestionably

Have (someone) in your corner (boxing): To have someone’s support or help

Hit below the belt (boxing): To criticize another person in an unfair or unethical way

Keep your eye on the ball (baseball): Stay alert

Mulligan (golf): A do-over

On the ball (baseball): Alert and proactive

Par for the course (golf): Normal or expected

Roll with the punches (boxing): To gracefully triumph over any challenges that come along

Saved by the bell (boxing): To get out of a difficult situation because of a timely interruption

Slam dunk (basketball): A certain win or guaranteed success

When you’re curious about the origin or meaning of different sports idioms, QuillBot’s AI Chat will provide instant answers, and it’s completely free to use.
What is a Golden Slam in tennis?: A Golden Slam in tennis is when a player wins all of the four major tournaments (the Grand Slams) and the Olympic or Paralympic gold medal in the same discipline in the same calendar year (e.g., “Diede de Groot completed the Golden Slam in 2021”).

QuillBot’s free AI chat can give you instant answers to questions about tennis terms like Golden Slam.
What is a Grand Slam in tennis?: A Grand Slam in tennis is one of the four major tournaments: The Australian Open (played on courts with a hardcourt surface), the French Open (played on clay courts), the Wimbledon Championships (located in the UK and played on grass courts), or the US Open (played on courts with a hardcourt surface). For example, “She has missed the last two Grand Slams due to injury.”

“The Grand Slam” means winning all of these tournaments in the same calendar year (e.g., “Steffi Graf completed the Grand Slam in women’s singles in 1988”).

QuillBot’s free AI chat can help you understand tennis terms like Grand Slam if you’re new to the sport.
What is a bagel in tennis?: A bagel in tennis is a slang term to describe a set that is won by six games to zero (“six love”). For example, “Alcaraz handed Smith a bagel in the final set.”

You can also use it as a verb: “Alcaraz bagelled Smith in the final set.”

If you’re new to tennis, QuillBot’s free AI chat can help you understand tennis terms like “a bagel.”
What is a drop shot in tennis?: A drop shot in tennis is a softly played shot that lands close to the net, forcing your opponent to rush forward from the back of the court to reach it. To be effective, a drop shot should be:

Hit low over the net so it gives your opponent less time to chase down.

Played with backspin (“slice”) so the ball stops quickly and bounces low.

“Disguised” by setting up your swing as if you are going to hit a normal shot, then adjusting your racket at the last moment

QuillBot’s free AI chat can give you definitions of tennis terms like drop shot.

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What are some basketball slang terms?

Sports terms: Other interesting questions