cheerleading
nounEtymology From cheerlead + -ing.
1
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A physical activity and sport in which cheerleaders organize elements of dance, gymnastics, and tumbling for judgment or to cheer on a team.
- Since its inception in the late 19th century, cheerleading has evolved from yelling encouragement on the sidelines to a competitive hybrid of gymnastics, dance and acrobatics.2020 November 29, Tess DeMeyer, Ilana Panich-Linsman, “The College Athletes Who Are Allowed to Make Big Bucks: Cheerleaders”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
- His [Jeff Webb's] move to make cheerleading more acrobatic drew criticism for making it more dangerous. The sport accounts for around two-thirds of all severe head and spinal injuries suffered by female athletes in the US, according to academic research published in 2022 in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine.2026 April 4, “Obituary: Texan who turned a US pastime into a serious sport”, in FT Weekend, London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 5:
2
Figuratively Automatic or servile praise.
- Related terms
- cheerleader