1. (n.) That which diverts, and makes mirth; pastime; amusement.

2. (n.) Mock; mockery; contemptuous mirth; derision.

3. (n.) That with which one plays, or which is driven about in play; a toy; a plaything; an object of mockery.

4. (n.) Play; idle jingle.

5. (n.) Diversion of the field, as fowling, hunting, fishing, racing, games, and the like, esp. when money is staked.

6. (n.) A plant or an animal, or part of a plant or animal, which has some peculiarity not usually seen in the species; an abnormal variety or growth. See Sporting plant, under Sporting.

7. (n.) A sportsman; a gambler.

8. (v. i.) To play; to frolic; to wanton.

9. (v. i.) To practice the diversions of the field or the turf; to be given to betting, as upon races.

10. (v. i.) To trifle.

11. (v. i.) To assume suddenly a new and different character from the rest of the plant or from the type of the species; -- said of a bud, shoot, plant, or animal. See Sport, n., 6.

12. (v. t.) To divert; to amuse; to make merry; -- used with the reciprocal pronoun.

13. (v. t.) To represent by any kind of play.

14. (v. t.) To exhibit, or bring out, in public; to use or wear; as, to sport a new equipage.

15. (v. t.) To give utterance to in a sportive manner; to throw out in an easy and copious manner; -- with off; as, to sport off epigrams.

Thesaurus Entries