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light welterweight

light welterweight

6.8
A boxer who weighs up to 140 pounds or 63 kilograms
  • noun
  • /laɪt ˈwɛltərweɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : superligero
  • During the last match, the light welterweight boxer delivered a powerful punch that stunned his opponent.

Examples

  • "He's young and confident," the former four-time world light welterweight champion explained.

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  • The athlete won the championship in the light welterweight division, impressing everyone with his speed and agility.

  • She has been training rigorously to compete in the light welterweight category at the upcoming tournament.

Synonyms

junior welterweight
vslight welterweight
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A boxer who fights in a weight class up to 140 pounds

has identical meaning but uses an alternate common name

Surface Forms

Morphology

light + welterweight

The meaning 'a weight division lighter than welterweight' is directly derivable from combining 'light' (indicating a lighter version) with 'welterweight' (a weight class). The modifier pattern (light + [weight class]) is productive in sports terminology and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the MWE.

Etymology

Light welterweight comes from boxing names that join light and welterweight to show a boxer who is a bit lighter than a welterweight. So it means 'a boxer who weighs no more than 140 pounds (63.5 kilograms)'.