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badminton

(Encyclopedia)badminton bădˈmĭntən [key], game played by volleying a shuttlecock (called a “bird”)—a small, cork hemisphere to which feathers are attached—over a net. Light, gut-strung rackets are used....

Queensberry, John Sholto Douglas, 8th marquess of

(Encyclopedia)Queensberry, John Sholto Douglas, 8th marquess of, 1844–1900, British nobleman, originator of the code of rules that governs modern boxing. He served in the British army and navy and later was a mem...

Baja California Sur

(Encyclopedia)Baja California Sur so͝or [key], state, 27,571 sq mi (71,428 sq km), NW Mexico, on the S Baja California peninsula. ...

hunting

(Encyclopedia)hunting, act of seeking, following, and killing wild animals for consumption or display. It differs from fishing in that it involves only land animals. Hunting was a necessary activity of early humans...

Manchester terrier

(Encyclopedia)Manchester terrier, breed of sleek, alert terrier developed in England in the 19th cent. There are two varieties, the standard and the toy (see toy dog). The standard variety stands from 14 to 16 in. ...

Bolt, Usain St. Leo

(Encyclopedia)Bolt, Usain St. Leo, 1986–, Jamaican sprinter. Unusually tall (6 ft 5 in./1.96 m) for his sport, he won the gold medal for the 200-m sprint at the 2002 world junior championships and then broke the ...

surfing

(Encyclopedia)surfing, sport of gliding on a breaking wave. Surfers originally used long, cumbersome wooden boards but now ride lightweight synthetic boards that allow a greater degree of maneuverability. Boards ar...

tennis

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Tennis court tennis, game played indoors or outdoors by two players (singles) or four players (doubles) on a level court. In 1900 the international team competition known as the Davis Cup t...

ice skating

(Encyclopedia)ice skating, gliding along an ice surface on keellike runners known as ice skates. The earliest skates (c.9th cent.), made of bone, were found in Sweden. Wooden skates with iron facings appeared in ...

hockey, ice

(Encyclopedia)hockey, ice, team sport in which players use sticks to propel a hard, round disk into a net-backed goal. The NHL long regarded itself as the world's elite, but the overwhelming superiority of the ...