redshirt

noun

red·​shirt ˈred-ˌshərt 

: a college athlete who is kept out of varsity competition for a year in order to extend eligibility

redshirt verb

Examples of redshirt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Harmon went through Senior Day activities last March, but opted to use a medical redshirt that she had been granted from the 2023-24 season and return to Texas for one more year. —Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 22 Feb. 2026

Ice Brady and Ayanna Patterson are seniors academically, but both could return next season with redshirt eligibility still remaining. —Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026

After rotating regularly between four bigs for much of the year, Gottlieb entrusted redshirt freshman Laura Williams with the lion’s share of opportunities at the five Thursday. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026

The redshirt senior initially enrolled at Michigan State as a freshman before transferring to the University of San Diego. —Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from the red jersey commonly worn by such a player in practice scrimmages against the regulars

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for redshirt

• alert
• assert
• avert
• dessert
• divert
• evert
• exert
• inert
• insert
• invert
• nightshirt
• overt