Reverse Dictionary: BOWLING

NOUNS
1501 • ROW-BOWLS the game of bowls → Sc. obs.
1566 • BIAS in bowls: the curving curse or path taken by a bowl when rolled, due to its shape or weighting
1586 • MISTRESS in bowls: the jack; a smaller bowl, typically white in colour, at which the players aim
1591 • TERMAGE money won from cheating at bowls → sl., obs.
1598 • BLOCK the target in a game of bowls or quoits; a peg or jack → obs.
1600 • TOUCHER in bowls: a bowl which when played touches the jack at any point in its original course
1672 • JACK in bowls: a smaller bowl, typically white in colour, at which the players aim
1673 • RINER in bowls: a bowl which touches the jack → Eng. dial.
1834 • CROWN GREEN a bowling green which is higher at the middle than at the sides
1843 • BULLETS the game of bowls → Sc.
1844 • FOOTER in bowls: the mat on which a bowls player must keep the foot corresponding to his or her bowling arm when rolling a bowl
1858 • BONSPIEL in bowling and bowls: a competition or tournament held between players from different clubs or districts
………. • DEADWOOD in bowling: a pin or pins that have been knocked down and remain in the lane or in the gutter → orig. US
1884 • WOOD each of the bowls in the game of bowls
1886 • ROLL-OFF in bowling: a play-off held to resolve a tie or determine the qualifier for a later round of a competition
1898 • KITTY in bowls: the jack
..20C • DEADWOOD pins that have been knocked down but remain on the alley or in the gutter → sl.
1940 • TURKEY three consecutive strikes → bowling usage
1949 • BABY SPLIT a 2-7 or 3-10 split → Amer. sl.
1958 • TAKEOUT in bowls: an instance of knocking an opponent’s bowl away from the jack
1961 • FIELD GOAL in bowling: a ball which passes between the pins of a split without knocking any of them over → colloq.
1961 • STRING in bowls: a succession of strikes
1966 • APPLE a weakly or inaccurately bowled ball → US sl.
1976 • MOTHER-IN-LAW the number 7 pin → Amer. bowling usage
1990 • BURNT END an end (a stage of play) that has to be replayed when the jack is driven out of bounds → UK
………. • DEAD END an end (a stage of play) that has to be replayed when the jack is driven out of bounds → UK

NOUNS, PERSON
1591 • BANKER a bowls player who dishonestly manipulates the outcome of a game to ensure that an accomplice wins money from the bets placed on it → sl. obs.
………. • BAWKER a person who cheats at bowls → obs.
1599 • TIMBER-TURNER a player at bowls → obs.
1830 • SKIP the captain of a bowling team
1843 • SIDESMAN a player in the game of bowls → obs.
1906 • SPHEROMANIAC a person who is passionately fond of playing at bowls
1957 • FIVE-PINNER a bowler in a five-pin game → Can. sl.
1962 • KEGLER a bowler → US sl.
1975 • WHITE LEGHORN a woman, usually elderly, who plays lawn bowls and dresses in the required white clothes and hat → Aust. sl.
1987 • CHICKEN WING a bowler whose elbow strays outward from the body during the backswing motion of rolling the ball → US sl.
………. • CRANKER a bowler who in delivering the ball lifts it high over his head in the backswing → US sl.
1997 • BAM-BAM a beginner who lofts the ball onto the lane, making a loud thud (Bk.)
2005 • PACER a non- competitive bowler who varies bowling turn with a tournament participant to allow the latter to complete his string along with other players (Bk.)
2006 • SANDBAGGER a bowler who purposely keeps down his average in order to receive a higher handicap than he deserves → Amer. sl. (Bk.)

VERBS
1611 • OVERCAST in bowls: to throw beyond the target
1879 • RIDE to bowl strongly → Sc.
1908 • TRAIL in bowls: to force the jack further up the green with one’s bowl
1953 • PICK A CHERRY to knock over a pin that had been previously missed → US sl.