rink
B1Neutral; used in both everyday and sports/technical contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A large, flat, usually artificial surface, enclosed and used for skating.
Any large, defined area or building used for sports played on a flat, smooth surface, such as ice skating, roller skating, or curling.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily denotes a purpose-built facility. The meaning is easily extended metaphorically to refer to the playing area itself (e.g., 'the hockey rink').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'rink' can strongly imply 'ice rink'. In the US, it's more explicitly qualified (ice/roller/hockey rink). 'Curling rink' is more common in Scottish/Canadian contexts.
Connotations
UK: Often associated with seasonal/leisure ice skating. US: Strongly associated with organised sports like ice hockey.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both varieties, with a slight edge in North America due to the popularity of ice hockey.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
at the + rinkon the + rinkrink + for + activity (a rink for hockey)rink + with + feature (a rink with new ice)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in leisure/entertainment management (e.g., 'The rink's revenue doubled in winter.').
Academic
Rare; may appear in sports science or urban planning studies.
Everyday
Common for discussing leisure activities (e.g., 'Let's go to the skating rink.')
Technical
Specific in sports engineering (ice maintenance, rink dimensions) and curling (the 'sheet').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council decided to rink the old tennis courts for the winter.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- We went to the ice rink on Saturday.
- The children love the skating rink.
- The new shopping centre has a large indoor roller rink.
- He plays hockey at the local rink every week.
- Maintaining an Olympic-standard rink requires precise temperature control.
- The curling rink was meticulously prepared for the championship.
- The city's proposal to convert the vacant lot into a multi-use rink faced budgetary constraints.
- Her research focuses on the social dynamics within the community roller rink culture.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'rink' rhymes with 'skate' (sort of!) and you 'skate on a rink'. A 'rink' is a 'ring' of ice you skate in.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTAINER (for sport/leisure activity), e.g., 'The rink was full of laughter.'
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите как «ринк» (калька). Правильно: «каток» (ледовый) или «роликовый каток/площадка».
- Слово «rink» само по себе часто подразумевает ледовую поверхность, но для ясности лучше указать «ice rink» или «roller rink».
Common Mistakes
- Using 'ring' instead of 'rink' (a 'ring' is for boxing/jewellery).
- Omitting the necessary qualifier (ice/roller) when the context isn't clear.
Practice
Quiz
In which sport would you be LEAST likely to use the word 'rink'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
An 'arena' is a large building for sports/concerts; a 'rink' specifically refers to the ice/skating surface inside it. You skate 'on the rink' but watch a game 'in the arena'.
Rarely. It can mean 'to skate on a rink' or, archaically, 'to form into a ring'. It is not common in modern usage.
No. While 'ice rink' is most common, 'roller rink' or 'skating rink' can refer to surfaces for rollerblading/roller skating.
A 'dry rink' typically refers to a roller skating surface, or a surface used for sports like floorball that mimics an ice rink but without ice.