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Glite Dictionary
stem turn

stem turn

8.2
A skiing turn where you push the tail of one ski out to slow and change direction
  • noun
  • Jargon
translation icon : giro de stem
  • The instructor demonstrated how to do a proper stem turn on the beginner slope.

Examples

  • She mastered the stem turn before moving on to more advanced skiing techniques.

  • Many beginners rely on the stem turn to navigate gentle hills safely.

  • He executed a perfect stem turn on the slope.

  • Did you see her stem turn during the race?

  • The instructor showed us how to perform a stem turn to navigate the steep slope safely.

  • Using a stem turn, she was able to slow down and change direction on the icy trail.

  • Mastering the stem turn technique helped him gain confidence while skiing on challenging runs.

Synonyms

stem
vsstem turn
  • Jargon
8 8.1

A turn in skiing where the tail of one ski is pushed outward to control speed

is the two word phrase that names the same skiing action

How Slow

stem turn
  • Jargon
8.2
to skid
3 3.5

Surface Forms

stem turn singular
stem turns plural

Morphology

stem + turn

The MWE is directly compositional: 'stem' names a specific skiing movement (pushing one ski's tail outward) and 'turn' denotes an act of turning, so 'stem turn' denotes the type of turn characterized by that movement. This noun+noun combination is predictable and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent senses, despite being specialized skiing jargon.

Etymology

The skiing term stem turn comes from the literal image of pushing the tail of one ski out to make a wedge, a move called the stem, and then bringing the other ski parallel to finish the turn. This wedge slows you down and helps you change direction, so the name explains why the move is used to control speed and direction.