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Lifestyle & Sports

Gastronomy, wine culture, and athletic vocabulary

9 categories92 words

All 9 Categories

Wine Tasting & Appreciation

Vocabulary for describing and evaluating wine

Culinary Techniques

Professional cooking methods and preparations

Gastronomy & Fine Dining

High cuisine and dining vocabulary

Flavor Profiles & Descriptions

Vocabulary for describing tastes and aromas

Athletic Performance

Terms for physical ability and training

Competition & Strategy

Terms for competitive sports and tactics

Team Sports Terms

Vocabulary from major team sports

Individual Sports

Terms from solo athletic competitions

Sports Metaphors

Athletic expressions used in everyday language

All 92 Words in Lifestyle & Sports

Complete vocabulary list for easy reference and copy-paste.

🍷Wine Tasting & Appreciation12

Term	Definition	Example
terroir	the environmental factors affecting a wine's character	"The terroir of Burgundy produces distinctive Pinot Noir."
bouquet	the complex aromas of a mature wine	"The aged Bordeaux had a magnificent bouquet."
tannin	a compound creating astringency and structure in wine	"Young Cabernet has firm tannins."
vintage	wine from a particular year's harvest	"The 1982 vintage is legendary."
sommelier	a trained wine professional	"The sommelier recommended a perfect pairing."
decanting	pouring wine into another vessel to separate sediment or aerate	"Old wines benefit from careful decanting."
finish	the lingering taste after swallowing	"The wine had an exceptionally long finish."
body	the weight and fullness of wine in the mouth	"A full-bodied red pairs well with steak."
dry	wine with no residual sugar	"I prefer dry wines to sweet."
oaky	having flavors imparted by oak barrel aging	"The Chardonnay was too oaky for my taste."
corked	wine spoiled by a contaminated cork	"Unfortunately, the bottle was corked."
legs	the streaks of wine running down the glass	"The wine's legs indicated high alcohol content."

👨‍🍳Culinary Techniques10

Term	Definition	Example
sauté	to cook quickly in a small amount of fat over high heat	"Sauté the onions until translucent."
braise	to cook slowly in liquid in a covered pot	"Braise the short ribs until tender."
julienne	to cut into thin, uniform strips	"Julienne the carrots for the salad."
blanch	to briefly boil then plunge into ice water	"Blanch the vegetables to preserve their color."
deglaze	to add liquid to a hot pan to dissolve browned bits	"Deglaze with wine to make the sauce."
emulsify	to combine two liquids that don't normally mix	"Emulsify the oil and vinegar for vinaigrette."
flambé	to ignite alcohol in a dish for flavor and presentation	"The chef flambéed the crêpes tableside."
reduce	to simmer a liquid to concentrate its flavor	"Reduce the sauce by half."
caramelize	to cook sugar until it browns	"Caramelize the onions for sweetness."
cure	to preserve food with salt, sugar, or smoke	"The salmon was cured with salt and dill."

🍽️Gastronomy & Fine Dining10

Term	Definition	Example
amuse-bouche	a small complimentary appetizer from the chef	"The amuse-bouche was a perfect bite of salmon mousse."
mise en place	the preparation and organization of ingredients before cooking	"Professional chefs rely on proper mise en place."
degustation	a tasting menu of small dishes	"The degustation menu showcased the chef's range."
palate	one's sense of taste and flavor appreciation	"She has a refined palate for wine."
umami	the fifth taste: savory or meaty flavor	"Parmesan is rich in umami."
gastronome	a connoisseur of fine food and drink	"As a gastronome, he travels for restaurant experiences."
prix fixe	a set menu at a fixed price	"The prix fixe included three courses."
à la carte	ordering individual dishes rather than a set menu	"We ordered à la carte to try more dishes."
charcuterie	prepared meat products, especially cured meats	"The charcuterie board featured local salumi."
digestif	an after-dinner drink to aid digestion	"We finished with a digestif of Cognac."

👅Flavor Profiles & Descriptions10

Term	Definition	Example
astringent	causing a dry, puckering sensation	"Unripe persimmons are unpleasantly astringent."
piquant	pleasantly sharp or spicy	"The mustard added a piquant note."
unctuous	rich, smooth, and oily in texture	"The foie gras was unctuous."
herbaceous	having flavors of fresh herbs	"The Sauvignon Blanc was herbaceous."
briny	salty like seawater	"The oysters were briny and fresh."
earthy	having flavors suggesting soil or mushrooms	"The truffle oil was deeply earthy."
bright	having lively acidity	"The dish needed a bright, acidic finish."
round	smooth and balanced without sharp edges	"Oak aging made the wine round."
complex	having many layered flavors	"The curry had complex, layered spicing."
cloying	sickeningly sweet or rich	"The dessert was cloying after a rich meal."

🏃Athletic Performance10

Term	Definition	Example
stamina	the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort	"Marathon runners need exceptional stamina."
endurance	the capacity to withstand hardship or exertion over time	"The triathlon tests endurance across three disciplines."
agility	the ability to move quickly and easily	"Soccer requires both speed and agility."
dexterity	skill in performing tasks with the hands or body	"The goalkeeper's dexterity saved the match."
prowess	exceptional skill or ability, especially in battle or sport	"His athletic prowess earned him a scholarship."
cadence	the rhythm or pace of movement or activity	"The cyclist maintained a steady cadence uphill."
conditioning	the process of training to achieve peak physical fitness	"Pre-season conditioning prepares athletes for competition."
plyometrics	exercises involving rapid stretching and contracting of muscles	"Plyometrics improve explosive power for jumping."
periodization	systematic planning of athletic training in cycles	"Periodization prevents overtraining and peaks performance."
recovery	the process of returning to normal condition after exertion	"Active recovery helps reduce muscle soreness."

🏆Competition & Strategy10

Term	Definition	Example
playoffs	a series of games to determine a championship	"The team clinched a spot in the playoffs."
underdog	a competitor thought to have little chance of winning	"The underdog defeated the reigning champions."
upset	an unexpected victory by a weaker opponent	"The upset shocked the sports world."
seeding	ranking competitors to determine tournament matchups	"The top seed receives a favorable draw."
bracket	a tournament structure showing matchups and progression	"March Madness brackets drive office pools nationwide."
overtime	additional playing time when scores are tied	"The game went into triple overtime."
shutout	a game in which one side fails to score	"The pitcher threw a complete-game shutout."
blowout	a game with a lopsided score	"The blowout was over by halftime."
momentum	the psychological advantage from a series of successes	"The comeback gave them all the momentum."
dynasty	a team that dominates its sport for an extended period	"They built a dynasty with five consecutive titles."

⚽Team Sports Terms10

Term	Definition	Example
assist	a pass that directly leads to a score	"She recorded ten assists in the game."
turnover	loss of possession to the opposing team	"Turnovers proved costly in the fourth quarter."
hat trick	three goals or successes by one player in a game	"He completed the hat trick with a late goal."
double-double	reaching double digits in two statistical categories	"She averaged a double-double in points and rebounds."
formation	the tactical arrangement of players on the field	"The coach switched to a 4-3-3 formation."
scrimmage	a practice game between teammates	"The team held a full scrimmage before the opener."
roster	the list of players on a team	"The roster expanded for the playoff run."
franchise	a professional sports team and its organization	"The franchise relocated to a new city."
draft	the process of selecting new players from a pool	"He was the first overall pick in the draft."
trade deadline	the final date when player trades can occur	"The team made a blockbuster deal before the trade deadline."

🎾Individual Sports10

Term	Definition	Example
personal best	an athlete's best-ever performance in an event	"She set a personal best in the 100 meters."
grand slam	winning all major championships in a sport in one year	"Only a few have achieved the calendar grand slam."
match point	a point that if won gives victory in a match	"She saved three match points before winning."
seed	a ranked player given a favorable tournament position	"The top seed advanced to the finals."
qualifying	preliminary rounds to enter a main competition	"He fought through qualifying to reach the main draw."
handicap	a system for equalizing chances between competitors	"Her golf handicap dropped to single digits."
stroke	a single movement or hit in racket or club sports	"She won by two strokes."
bout	a contest or round, especially in boxing or wrestling	"The championship bout went the distance."
round	a division of a match or competition	"He was knocked out in the third round."
heat	a preliminary race to determine finalists	"She won her heat easily."

🎯Sports Metaphors10

Term	Definition	Example
home run	a complete success; hitting it out of the park	"The product launch was a home run."
slam dunk	a sure thing; a guaranteed success	"The proposal was a slam dunk."
curveball	an unexpected obstacle or surprise	"The interview threw me a curveball."
punt	to defer or delay a decision	"They punted on the hard question."
heavy hitter	an important or influential person	"They brought in the heavy hitters for negotiations."
drop the ball	to make a mistake; to fail to do something	"Marketing really dropped the ball on this campaign."
par for the course	normal or expected	"Delays are par for the course in construction."
level playing field	fair and equal conditions for all	"Regulations create a level playing field."
ballpark figure	a rough estimate	"Give me a ballpark figure for the budget."
down to the wire	decided at the last moment	"The election went down to the wire."

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