hockey stick: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral (can be everyday, sports, or technical/business depending on context)
Quick answer
What does “hockey stick” mean?
A long, thin, curved stick used for hitting or controlling the puck or ball in the game of hockey.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A long, thin, curved stick used for hitting or controlling the puck or ball in the game of hockey.
1. In business, finance, and economics: A line on a graph that shows a period of low growth followed by a sudden, dramatic upturn, resembling the shape of a hockey stick. 2. In environmental science: A graph showing a sharp upward trend, often used to illustrate rising global temperatures or CO2 levels.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'hockey' typically refers to field hockey unless specified as 'ice hockey'. In the US and Canada, 'hockey' by default means ice hockey, and field hockey is specified. Therefore, a 'hockey stick' in the US/Canada is assumed to be for ice hockey, while in the UK it's for field hockey. Field hockey sticks have a curved end on one side only; ice hockey sticks have a blade curved on both sides.
Connotations
The sports equipment connotation is neutral. The business metaphor has strong positive connotations of breakthrough success, but can also carry negative connotations of unrealistic projections or delayed action (e.g., climate change).
Frequency
The literal term is common in both regions within sports contexts. The metaphorical 'hockey stick growth' is common in international business/tech/academic English, with no significant regional variation in this usage.
Grammar
How to Use “hockey stick” in a Sentence
[Verb] a hockey stick: buy, break, swing, hold, tape[Adjective] hockey stick: new, broken, curved, regulationThe [Noun] hockey stick: growth, curve, graph, projectionVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hockey stick” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The sales finally began to hockey stick after the marketing campaign.
- We're hoping the figures will hockey stick next quarter.
American English
- The app's downloads are expected to hockey stick after the feature launch.
- Their revenue hockey-sticked in the last fiscal year.
adverb
British English
- The growth happened hockey-stick fast once they found product-market fit.
- N/A
American English
- N/A
- N/A
adjective
British English
- They presented a hockey-stick projection to the investors.
- We're looking at a potential hockey-stick curve in demand.
American English
- The report highlighted the hockey-stick growth of the sector.
- It's a classic hockey-stick chart.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to a graph showing explosive growth after a flat period. 'The startup's user adoption showed classic hockey stick growth in Q3.'
Academic
Used in economics, climatology, and data science to describe specific non-linear trends. 'The paper presented a hockey stick graph of atmospheric methane concentrations.'
Everyday
Almost exclusively refers to the sports equipment. 'I need to buy a new hockey stick for practice.'
Technical
In sports engineering: specifications of materials, flex, and curve. In data visualization: describing a specific chart pattern.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hockey stick”
- Using 'hockey stick' as a verb incorrectly (e.g., 'The company hockey sticked'). The correct verb phrase is 'to show/go hockey stick'.
- Confusing 'hockey stick' (the equipment) with 'puck' or 'ball'.
- In business writing, overusing the cliché 'hockey stick growth'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a two-word compound noun, typically written as two separate words ('hockey stick'). It is sometimes hyphenated when used as a modifier before a noun (e.g., 'hockey-stick growth').
A field hockey stick is curved on one side (the playing side) and flat on the other, with a shorter, hooked end. An ice hockey stick has a long, straight shaft and a separate, flat blade that is curved on both sides to help control the puck.
Informally, especially in business/tech jargon, it can be used as a verb meaning 'to increase dramatically and suddenly' (e.g., 'Their user base hockey-sticked'). This is considered casual and should be used cautiously in formal writing.
It is a visual metaphor. A line graph that is relatively flat and then turns sharply upward resembles the long handle and sharply angled blade of a hockey stick.
A long, thin, curved stick used for hitting or controlling the puck or ball in the game of hockey.
Hockey stick is usually neutral (can be everyday, sports, or technical/business depending on context) in register.
Hockey stick: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɒki stɪk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhɑːki stɪk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Hockey stick growth”
- “A hockey stick curve”
- “To go hockey stick”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a graph lying flat (the shaft of the stick) and then suddenly shooting up at a sharp angle (the blade). This shape, used in sports and charts, is the 'hockey stick'.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUSTAINED GROWTH IS UPWARD MOTION / A SUDDEN CHANGE IN TRAJECTORY IS A SHARP BEND (The metaphorical use maps the physical shape of the tool onto a data trend.)
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'hockey stick' MOST LIKELY refer to a piece of sports equipment in the UK?