SPORT, n.

1. That which diverts and makes merry; play; game; diversion; also, mirth. The word signifies both the cause and the effect; that which produces mirth, and the mirth or merriment produced. Her sports were such as carried riches of knowledge upon the stream of delight. – Sidney. Here the word denotes the cause of amusement. They called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made them sport. – Judges xvi. Here sport is the effect.
2. Mock; mockery; contemptuous mirth. Then make sport at me, then let me be your jest. – Shak. They made a sport of his prophets. – Esdras.
3. That with which one plays, or which is driven about. To flitting leaves, the sport of every wind. – Dryden. Never does man appear to greater disadvantage than when he is the sport of his own ungoverned passions. – J. Clarke.
4. Play; idle jingle. An author who should introduce such a sport of words upon our stage, would meet with small applause. – Broome.
5. Diversion of the field, as fowling, hunting, fishing. – Clarendon. In sport. To do a thing in sport, is to do it in jest, for play or diversion. So is the man that deceiveth his neighbor, and saith, am not I in sport? – Prov. xxvi.

1. To play; to frolick; to wanton. See the brisk lambs that sport along the mead. – Anon.
2. To trifle. The man that laughs at religion sports with his own salvation.

1. To divert; to make merry; used with the reciprocal pronoun. Against whom do ye sport yourselves? – Is. lvii.
2. To represent by any kind of play. Now sporting on thy lyre the love of youth. – Dryden.

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

   It is as sport a fool do mischief. prov. x. 23.

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

   Think it but a minute spent in sport. Shak.

2. To play] to frolic; to wanton.
   
   

   [Fish], sporting with quick glance,
   Show to the sun their waved coats dropt with gold. Milton.

3. To divert; to amuse; to make merry; -- used with the reciprocal pronoun.
   
   

   Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Isa. lvii. 4.

4. Mock; mockery; contemptuous mirth; derision.
   
   

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

5. To practice the diversions of the field or the turf; to be given to betting, as upon races.
6. To represent by any knd of play.
   
   

   Now sporting on thy lyre the loves of youth. Dryden.

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

   Flitting leaves, the sport of every wind. Dryden.

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

8. To trifle.
   
   
   "He sports with his own life." Tillotson.
9. To exhibit, or bring out, in public; to use or wear; as, to sport a new equipage.
   
   
   [Colloq.] Grose.
10. Play; idle jingle.
    
    

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

11. 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.
    
    
    Darwin.

    Syn. -- To play; frolic; game; wanton.

12. To give utterance to in a sportive manner; to throw out in an easy and copious manner; -- with off; as, to sport off epigrams.
    
    
    Addison.

    To sport one's oak. See under Oak, n.

13. Diversion of the field, as fowling, hunting, fishing, racing, games, and the like, esp. when money is staked.
14. 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.
15. A sportsman; a gambler.
    
    
    [Slang]

    In sport, in jest; for play or diversion. "So is the man that deceiveth his neighbor, and saith, Am not I in sport?" Prov. xxvi. 19.

    Syn. -- Play; game; diversion; frolic; mirth; mock; mockery; jeer.