bonspiel

noun

bon·​spiel ˈbän-ˌspēl How to pronounce bonspiel (audio)
: a match or tournament between curling clubs

Examples of bonspiel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There was no bonspiel. Miriam Toews, The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2022 Maxwell just started curling in October 2018 and the Fairbanks International Bonspiel is her first bonspiel. Danny Martin, The Seattle Times, 13 Apr. 2019 This year’s bonspiel has the theme Cartoon Craze, and several teams are competing in costumes of cartoon characters. Danny Martin, The Seattle Times, 13 Apr. 2019 These were folks who probably thought bonspiel was a craft beer and if asked the definition of hammer, sheet and house, would undoubtedly give non-curling answers. Meg Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2018 Curling also has a long tradition of opponents meeting for beers after a good, clean bonspiel (curling lingo for tournament). Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2018 Currently, curlers in 38 states hold bonspiels, on both indoor and outdoor sheets, and clubs regularly welcome new players at open houses. Gillian Hearst Simonds, Town & Country, 24 Dec. 2012

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bonspiel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Dutch bond league + spel game

First Known Use

circa 1772, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bonspiel was circa 1772

Dictionary Entries Near bonspiel

Cite this Entry

“Bonspiel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonspiel. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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