rink

noun

ˈriŋk 

plural rinks

1

a

: a smooth extent of ice marked off for curling or ice hockey

b

: a surface of ice for ice-skating

also : a building containing such a rink

c

: an enclosure for roller-skating

2

: a lane for lawn bowling

3

: a team of players in curling or lawn bowling

Examples of rink in a Sentence

The hockey team is practicing at the rink.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fifty years ago, when kids gathered at a neighborhood rink for a pickup hockey game, the ones who couldn’t skate were usually stuck between the pipes. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 5 Dec. 2025

The San Jose Downtown Association brought its Downtown Ice skating rink to the adjacent Circle of Palms, and the Winter Wonderland carnival rides added to the fun along Park Avenue and Paseo de San Antonio. —Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025

Gloves are a must for brushing off ice after an (inevitable) fall on the rink. —Jamila Robinson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025

For Ice Skating New York is full of amazing ice skating rinks sprinkled throughout the city. —Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English (Scots) rinc area in which a contest takes place, from Anglo-French renc row, lists — more at rank entry 1

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing rink

• ice rink
• roller rink
• skating rink

Rhymes for rink

• blink
• brink
• chink
• cinque
• clink
• dink
• drink
• fink
• hink
• ink
• kink
• klink

Kids Definition

rink

noun

ˈriŋk 

1

: a sheet of ice laid out for curling, ice hockey, or ice-skating

2

: an enclosed place for roller-skating