Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
sports implement

sports implement

3.6
An object like a bat or racket that you use to play a sport
  • noun
translation icon : utensilio deportivo
  • He bought a new sports implement to help improve his tennis game.

Examples

  • Although the boomerang is now a modern international sports implement drawing on materials and aerospace science, Bailey said it still owes a great deal to the Aboriginal people of Australia.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The coach emphasized the importance of using the right sports implement for training.

  • For her birthday, she received a sports implement that helps improve her basketball skills.

Synonyms

sports equipment
vssports implement
3 1.5

Things used to play a sport, like balls, racquets, or protective gear

is limited to tools used directly to play or perform the sport

How Specialized

sports implement
3.6
equipment
∞ 1.9

Surface Forms

sports implement singular
sports implements plural

Morphology

sport + implement

The meaning is directly compositional: 'sports' modifies 'implement' to indicate an instrument or tool used for sport, so a learner who knows 'sport' and 'implement' can infer the phrase. This is a common noun–noun modification pattern found across languages (although slightly formal in register), so it is immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.

Etymology

The phrase sports implement comes from two words: sports meaning 'games' and implement meaning 'tool'. Think of a player picking up a bat or a racket, which are tools for the game, so sports implement means any object used to play a sport.