- a smooth expanse of ice marked off for the game of curling
- a part of a bowling green of a suitable size for a match
- the players on one side in a game of curling, bowls, or quoits
- a smooth expanse of ice, often artificially prepared and enclosed, for ice-skating or for playing hockey
- a smooth floor, usually of wood and enclosed, for roller-skating
- a building enclosing either of such rinks
Origin of rinkME(Scot), earlier renk ; from Old French renc, rank
- a. A usually rectangular area surfaced with smooth ice and often having a vertical boards erected around the perimeter and curving along each corner, used for skating, ice hockey, or curling.b. A similar area having a smooth hard floor used for roller-skating.c. A similar area, often having artificial grass, used for indoor soccer and other sports.d. A building housing one or more of these areas.
- A section of a bowling green large enough for holding a match.
- A team of players in quoits, bowling, or curling.
Origin of rinkMiddle English renk, racecourse, possibly from Old French renc, line, of Germanic origin; see sker-2 in Indo-European roots.
From Middle English rink, renk, from Old English rinc (“man, warrior, hero"), from Proto-Germanic *rankiz (“upright man"), from Proto-Germanic *rankaz (“straight, upright"), from Proto-Indo-European *reÇµ- (“straight, direct"). Cognate with Scots rink, renk (“man, warrior, hero"), Old Saxon rink (“man"), Old Norse rekkr (“a straight or upright man"), Old English ranc (“proud, noble, valiant"). More at rank.
From Middle English rink, rynk, variation of Middle English ring (“ring"). Compare Low German rink (“ring, circle"), Middle High German rinc (“a ring, circle").