Rink Is a Scots Word From the Game of Curling
A rink is a surface for skating or curling. The word came into English from Scotland.
A rink is a prepared surface for skating or curling, and in curling and bowls also the team of players. The word is Scots, originally meaning a course or racecourse, probably from Old French *renc*, a rank or row — the same word behind English *rank*. It attached to curling in the 1700s, when matches were played on frozen lochs, and skating borrowed it later. Curling ice is *pebbled* with sprayed droplets, which is what allows a stone to curl rather than slide straight.
- A skating surface. *An ice rink.*
- A curling sheet. *A curling rink.*
- A team. *Our rink won.*
- Roller rink. *A roller rink.*
- Scots — a course. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | rink | A rink. |
| Plural | rinks | Rinks. |
| Compound | ice rink | An ice rink. |
| Compound | roller rink | A roller rink. |
| Old French | renc | A row. |
- They skated on the rink.Skating.
- Our rink took the match.Curling.
- Pebbled ice lets stones curl.Technique.
Why curling stones curl
- The ice is pebbled with sprayed water droplets
- The stone rides on those frozen bumps, not flat ice
- A slight rotation makes it drift sideways as it travels
- Sweeping briefly melts the pebbles and reduces friction
- The exact physics is still debated by researchers
Scots *rink*, a course, probably from Old French *renc*, a row or rank.
Does rink mean the ice or the team?
Both. In curling and bowls it names the playing surface and also the team using it.
Why is curling ice pebbled?
The frozen droplets reduce contact area and allow a spinning stone to curl sideways rather than slide straight.