Definition

1. Verb:
   • To ride the crest of a wave without a surfboard: To swim or float in the ocean and allow an incoming wave to carry you forward toward the shore, using only your body for propulsion and steering.

Usage

• The verb "body-surf" describes a specific aquatic activity. It is typically used in the context of beach or ocean recreation.
• It is an intransitive verb (it does not take a direct object). You "body-surf" on or in waves.
• It often appears in the continuous tense to describe the ongoing activity.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The children learned to body-surf in the gentle waves.
  • He spent the whole afternoon body-surfing at the beach.
  • It's important to know how to body-surf safely to avoid getting hurt by the waves.

Advanced Usage

• "to go body-surfing": This is a common phrasing to describe the activity of engaging in body-surfing.
  • Let's go body-surfing before the tide goes out.

Variants and Related Words

• Body-surfing (n): The activity or sport of riding waves without a surfboard.
  • Body-surfing requires good timing and wave knowledge.
• Body-surfer (n): A person who body-surfs.
  • The experienced body-surfer caught a long ride all the way to the sand.

Synonyms

• Bodysurf (v): An alternative spelling (without the hyphen).
• Shorebreak (v/n): While not a direct synonym, this term is related as it describes waves that break directly on the shore, which are often used for body-surfing.

Related Phrases

• Catch a wave: A general phrase for successfully getting onto a wave, applicable to body-surfing, surfing, or boogie boarding.
  • She managed to catch a perfect wave and body-surf all the way in.
• Wipe out: To fall off or be knocked over by a wave, common in surfing and body-surfing.
  • He wiped out while trying to body-surf a big wave.

Verb

1. ride the crest of a wave without a surfboard