Noun

(en noun)

The emotion usually following humour and accompanied by laughter; merriment; jollity; gaiety.

* 1883 ,

And he began to laugh again, and that so heartily, that, though I did not see the joke as he did, I was again obliged to join him in his mirth.

*, title=The Mirror and the Lamp

, chapter=2 citation , passage=She was a fat, round little woman, richly apparelled in velvet and lace, […]; and the way she laughed, cackling like a hen, the way she talked to the waiters and the maid, […]—all these unexpected phenomena impelled one to hysterical mirth , and made one class her with such immortally ludicrous types as Ally Sloper, the Widow Twankey, or Miss Moucher.}}

* 1912 , :

Their eyes met and they began to laugh. They laughed as children do when they cannot contain themselves, and can not explain the cause of their mirth to grown people, but share it perfectly together.

That which causes merriment.

* 1922 ,

Phantasmal mirth , folded away: muskperfumed.

Noun

(countable) Any activity that uses physical exertion or skills competitively under a set of rules that is not based on aesthetics.

(countable) A person who exhibits either good or bad sportsmanship.

* Jen may have won, but she was sure a poor sport ; she laughed at the loser.

* The loser was a good sport , and congratulated Jen on her performance.

(countable) Somebody who behaves or reacts in an admirable manner, a good sport.

* You're such a sport ! You never get upset when we tease you.

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

* Shakespeare

Think it but a minute spent in sport .

* Sir Philip Sidney

Her sports were such as carried riches of knowledge upon the stream of delight.

* Hey Diddle Diddle

The little dog laughed to see such sport , and the dish ran away with the spoon.

(obsolete) Mockery; derision.

* Shakespeare

Then make sport at me; then let me be your jest.

(countable) A toy; a plaything; an object of mockery.

* Dryden

flitting leaves, the sport of every wind

* John Clarke

Never does man appear to greater disadvantage than when he is the sport of his own ungoverned passions.

(uncountable) Gaming for money as in racing, hunting, fishing.

(biology, botany, zoology, countable) 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. The term encompasses both mutants and organisms with non-genetic developmental abnormalities such as birth defects.

* '>citation

(slang, countable) A sportsman; a gambler.

(slang, countable) One who consorts with disreputable people, including prostitutes.

(obsolete, uncountable) An amorous dalliance.

* Charlie and Lisa enjoyed a bit of sport after their hike.

(informal, usually singular) A friend or acquaintance (chiefly used when speaking to the friend in question)

* {{quote-magazine

, date= , year=1924 , month=July , first= , last= , author=Ellis Butler , coauthors= , title=The Little Tin Godlets , volume=25 , issue=1 , page=14 , magazine=The Rotarian , publisher=Rotary International , issn= citation , passage="Say, sport !" he would say briskly.}}

(obsolete) Play; idle jingle.

* Broome

An author who should introduce such a sport of words upon our stage would meet with small applause.