bleachers
BLEE-cherz
/ˈbliːtʃərz/
Cheap, tiered benches for spectators at a sports stadium, typically uncovered.
Associated with a more casual, 'everyman' experience of sports. They are often made of wood or metal.
The story behind the word. The term comes from the fact that these seats were uncovered and exposed to the sun, which 'bleached' the wood white over time.
Word relationships
- grandstand: The grandstand is usually covered and more expensive.
Word family
- bleach (verb): To whiten by exposure to sunlight or chemicals.
Collocations
- stadium bleachers
- wooden bleachers
- sit in the bleachers
- empty bleachers
Example sentences
- "We sat in the bleachers and got a terrible sunburn, but the tickets were only ten dollars." Baseball game.
- "The students gathered in the bleachers to cheer on their classmates during the pep rally." High school sports.
Memory hook
The sun 'bleaches' the people sitting in the 'bleachers'. Bleachers = Sun-bleached seats.
When not to use
Don't use for the expensive, roofed seats (those are the grandstand).
Fun facts
- The term was first used in baseball in the 1880s to describe the fans who sat in the cheap, sunny seats.
Related words
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