halfpipe
A U-shaped ramp or snow structure used in gravity sports to perform tricks as the rider moves back and forth between the opposing vertical walls.
A halfpipe consists of two flat vertical walls (transitions) facing each other, joined by a flat bottom, allowing riders to gain momentum and launch into the air.
Word relationships
- ramp: Ramp is a generic term for any inclined plane, while halfpipe is a specific, symmetrical U-shaped structure.
Commonly confused with
- quarterpipe: A quarterpipe is a single curved ramp with a deck at the top, whereas a halfpipe has two facing curved walls.
Collocations
- superpipe
- drop into a halfpipe
- halfpipe competition
- wooden halfpipe
Example sentences
- "The snowboarder dropped into the massive, ice-walled halfpipe, immediately gaining speed for his first hit." A sports broadcast covering the Winter Olympics snowboarding event.
- "Early skateboarders built wooden halfpipes in their backyards to replicate the curved walls of empty swimming pools." A history of skateboarding detailing the evolution of ramp construction.
Memory hook
Picture a giant sewer pipe sliced in half horizontally, leaving a perfect U-shape to skate back and forth in. A pipe cut in half to make a U-shaped ramp.
When not to use
Do not confuse a halfpipe with a 'quarterpipe' (which is just a single curved ramp) or a 'bowl' (which is a fully enclosed, pool-like structure).
Fun facts
- The Olympic 'Superpipe' has walls that are 22 feet high, which is almost twice the height of the original backyard halfpipes of the 1970s and 80s.
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.