keijo
Very Low / ObsoleteHistorical / Technical (sport-specific)
Definition
Meaning
A round target, typically a piece of material or a drawn circle, used as an aiming point in sports like curling.
In a broader, now largely historical or regional context, refers to a specified area or target in certain traditional games or practices, notably used as the term for 'the house' (the target area) in the sport of curling.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word 'keijo' is an archaism. It is not part of contemporary general English vocabulary. Its primary documented use is as a historical term from the early 20th century and earlier for the target in curling. Modern curling terminology uses 'house' or 'rings'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is equally archaic in both varieties. Given curling's stronger historical and contemporary association with Scotland, the term might have marginally more historical recognition in British sources, but it is obsolete in both.
Connotations
Historical, specialised, obscure.
Frequency
Effectively zero frequency in modern corpora for both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + the keijo (e.g., hit, reach, target)a/the + [adjective] + keijo (e.g., inner, outer, frozen)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No established idioms. Obsolete term.]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Potentially in historical or etymological studies of sports terminology.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Obsolete technical term in the sport of curling.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- [No verbal use.]
American English
- [No verbal use.]
adverb
British English
- [No adverbial use.]
American English
- [No adverbial use.]
adjective
British English
- [No adjectival use.]
American English
- [No adjectival use.]
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This game has a keijo. You throw the stone to the keijo.
- The red stone is in the keijo.
- In old curling rules, a point was scored for each stone resting in the keijo.
- The skip pointed to the centre of the keijo as their target.
- Historical accounts describe players carefully polishing the ice surface of the keijo before an important match.
- A well-placed guard stone can protect your shot stone in the keijo from being removed.
- The antiquated term 'keijo', denoting the target in curling, fell completely out of favour with the standardisation of the sport's lexicon in the late 19th century.
- While modern strategists analyse 'house' positioning, their predecessors would have debated the finer points of 'keijo' management.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'KEIjo' as a 'KEY' target (sounds like 'key') you aim for in a game.
Conceptual Metaphor
TARGET IS A CONTAINER (for stones); CENTRAL AREA IS A GOAL.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с японским именем Кейджо (Keijō — старое название Сеула). В данном контекте это редкий спортивный термин.
- Прямого перевода нет. Современный эквивалент — «дом» (the house) в кёрлинге.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in modern context (use 'house' instead).
- Misspelling as 'keijo' (correct, but archaic).
- Assuming it is a common word.
Practice
Quiz
What is the modern, standard term for what was historically called the 'keijo' in curling?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an extremely rare and obsolete term. You will not encounter it in modern English outside of historical references.
Its etymology is uncertain but is likely of Scots origin, related to the sport of curling. It is not related to the Japanese name.
No. For discussing or playing modern curling, you must learn and use the standard term 'house'.
No. Its documented historical use is specific to curling. Using it for an archery target or a football goal would be incorrect and confusing.