Definition

Noun: A form of ice skating in which skaters perform prescribed, intricate patterns and movements, often involving jumps, spins, and footwork, on the ice. The name originates from the historical requirement to trace specific, complex figures (like circles and loops) on the ice as part of the competition.

Usage

"Figure skating" is used as a singular, uncountable noun to refer to the sport or activity in general. It is often modified by adjectives describing its type or aspect. - She has dedicated her life to figure skating. - The elegance and athleticism of figure skating are captivating. - Pairs figure skating is a popular Olympic event.

Examples

• The Winter Olympics always feature world-class figure skating.
• He took up figure skating at the age of five.
• The precision required in figure skating is immense.

Advanced Usage

• "to do/go figure skating": This is a common collocation for participating in the activity.
  • My daughter wants to do figure skating.
• The term can be used attributively (like an adjective) before other nouns.
  • a figure skating champion
  • a figure skating routine

Variants and Related Words

• Figure skater (n): A person who participates in figure skating.
  • The figure skater landed a perfect triple axel.
• Figure skate (n): The type of boot with a blade used for this sport.
  • She laced up her figure skates.

Synonyms

• Artistic skating (This is a less common synonym, sometimes used to emphasize the performance aspect).
• Ice dancing is a related but distinct discipline within competitive ice skating, focusing more on dance and less on jumps.

Idioms and Phrases

• "Cut a figure": While not exclusive to skating, this idiom meaning "to make an impression" is thematically related.
  • The champion cut a dashing figure on the ice.

Noun

1. ice skating where the skates trace outlines of selected figures