candlepin bowling

6.5

A game like bowling played with thin straight pins and a small ball you hold in your hand

noun
/ˈkændəlˌpɪn ˈboʊlɪŋ/

: boliche de candlepin

Every Friday, we get together for a game of candlepin bowling at the local alley.

Examples

I love candlepin bowling on weekends.
Candlepin bowling requires a different technique than the standard ten-pin version.
She grew up in New England and is an expert at candlepin bowling.
Have you ever tried candlepin bowling?
On Friday night, we decided to try candlepin bowling for the first time at the local alley.
After practicing all summer, she was finally ready to compete in the candlepin bowling tournament.
He invited his friends to a birthday party where they could enjoy candlepin bowling and pizza.

Synonyms

bowling

vscandlepin bowling

210 1.0

A game in which people roll a ball to knock down pins

focuses on slender pins and a small handheld ball rather than a heavy ball

candlepins

vscandlepin bowling

8.7

A type of bowling with tall thin pins and small balls

is the same game but without the regional location mention

Surface Forms

candlepin bowling singular

candlepin bowlings plural

Morphology

candlepin + bowling

The meaning is directly and transparently compositional: 'candlepin' names the type of pin and 'bowling' names the game, so the compound denotes the bowling variant that uses candlepins. This follows the same pattern as other transparent terms like 'ten-pin bowling', so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The game candlepin bowling gets its name from the pins, which look like thin, straight candles rather than the fat pins in regular bowling. Because players use a small handheld ball to knock down these skinny pins, the name now means 'a kind of bowling with thin pins and a small ball'.