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Glite Dictionary
dolphin kick

dolphin kick

4.0
A swimming move used underwater in which both legs move up and down together in a smooth wave
  • noun
  • /ˈdɑlfɪn kɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : patada de delfín
  • To find out, George Washington University's flow simulation analysis group is studying the fluid dynamics behind elite swimmers' dolphin kicks, said Rajat Mittal, who heads the team in Washington.
  • swimmers execute their dolphin kick

Examples

  • What got her the gold medal and the world record was her turn after 50 meters; she hit the wall in third but emerged from her 15-meter underwater dolphin kick section in the lead.

    Blog text (12)

  • Some Olympic swimmers execute their dolphin kicks nearly as well as dolphins themselves.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Humans call it a dolphin kick.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Swimmers execute the strategically crucial underwater dolphin kick at the start and the turn of each lap.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The researchers created an animation that matches the 3-D body scans frame by frame to the dolphin kicks of two Olympic swimmers, Natalie Coughlin and Michael Phelps.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The swimmer powered through the water with a strong dolphin kick, propelling himself forward efficiently.

  • During practice, she focused on perfecting her dolphin kick to enhance her performance in the freestyle event.

  • Coaches often emphasize the importance of the dolphin kick in competitive swimming for gaining speed off the wall.

Synonyms

swimming kick
vsdolphin kick
2.3

A repeated leg movement in swimming that pushes the body forward

is a specific wave motion using both legs together to move the body

How Powerful

dolphin kick
  • Specialized
4.0
frog kick
  • Specialized
3.5
flutter kick
  • Specialized
3.4

Surface Forms

dolphin kick singular
dolphin kicks plural

Morphology

dolphin + kick

The noun combines a familiar animal label 'dolphin' with the concrete action 'kick', so a learner who knows both words can readily infer a kick that resembles a dolphin's motion (the wave-like tail movement). Although it is a specialized swimming term, the compositional imagery is clear and cross-linguistically plausible, making the meaning predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The noun dolphin kick comes from the way a swimmer's legs move together like a dolphin's tail, with a strong kick up and down. So it means 'a swimming move' where both legs move in a smooth wave to push the swimmer forward under the water.