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Glite Dictionary
speedskater

speedskater

1 3.9
An athlete who skates fast in races on an oval ice track
  • noun
  • /ˈspiːdˌskeɪtər/
translation icon : patinador de velocidad
  • During the race, the fast speedskater zoomed past her competitors on the oval track.
  • Olympic speedskater
  • world-class speedskater
  • speedskater on track

Examples

  • In preparation for the upcoming championships, the speedskater practiced daily on the ice.

  • Mr. Chun attended as the guest of U.S. speedskater Shani Davis.

    Blog text (22)

  • HONG KONG -- Simon Cho, a Korean-American speedskater who won a bronze medal at the 2010 Olympics, originally came to the United States in 1996 under cover of darkness, smuggled across the border from Canada, holding his mother's hand.

    Blog text (22)

  • The American speedskater won the gold medal in the 500 meters at the Winter Olympics.

Synonyms

racer
vsspeedskater
64 1.9

A person who runs or drives in a competition to see who is fastest

applies specifically to ice races on an oval track
ice-skater
vsspeedskater
4 2.4

A person who moves on ice wearing shoes with metal blades for sport or fun

focuses on racing rather than general skating activity
speed skater
vsspeedskater
3 3.0

A person who races fast on ice around an oval track

has identical meaning but is written as one word

How Fast

speedskater
1 3.9
skater
102 1.0

Surface Forms

speedskater singular
speedskaters plural

Morphology

speedskater = speed + skater (transparent) = speed + skate + er

The compound 'speed' + 'skater' clearly denotes a skater who specializes in speed (racing) and is directly inferable from the components.

Etymology

The word speedskater combines speed ('quickness') and skate ('to glide on ice') with -er meaning 'a person who does something', so it names someone who glides on the ice very fast. That's why a speedskater is an athlete who races around an ice track.