| Terms |
Curling Term Definition |
| Back line |
The line behind the house. Once crossed
a stone is out of play. |
| Biter |
A stone just touching the outer edge
of the 6ft circle, potentially counting. |
| Blank end |
An end where no stone scores a point.
|
| Button |
The small centre of circles |
| Centre line |
The line that runs down the middle from
hack to hack. |
| Clean |
To sweep lightly before a stone. |
| Double |
A takeout shot that clears two opposing
stones from the house. |
| Draw |
The amount of curling movement to describe
the distance from the direction of release to the intended
target.
or...A stone played to end in the house, an instruction
to play such a stone. |
| Draw weight |
An indication of the momentum needed for
a stone to end in the house. |
| End |
Component of a game, during which eight
stones are played by each team in the same direction. |
| Extra end |
The deciding end played when the score
is level after all scheduled ends have been played. |
| Freeze |
A stone played with perfect weight to
rest against another. |
| Frosty ice |
Ice with frost on the surface, caused
by high humidity. |
| Give ice |
To hold a brush for a player to aim at,
as a skip to indicate the amount of ice needed to draw to
a target. |
| Guard |
A stone played to protect another. |
| Guard Weight |
An indication of the momentum needed for
a stone to end in front of the house. |
| Hack |
The block at each end of a sheet, usually
of rubber, which provides a foothold from which the stones
are played. |
| Hammer |
Term used to indicate who has last stone
in an end. |
| Handle |
Term to denote the rotation applied to
a stone upon release. |
| Hog |
A stone which fails to reach the hog line
and is removed from play. |
| Hog line |
The line each played stone has to cross
to remain in play. |
| House |
The circles which a stone has to reach
in order to count. |
| In-turn |
Slight rotation applied to a stone where
the playing hand turns in towards the player (clockwise
for right-handed players and vice versa for left-handed)
|
| Lead |
Player who plays his two stones first
in an end for a team. |
| Out-turn |
Slight rotation applied to a stone where
the playing hand turns out from the player (anti-clockwise
for right-handed players and vice versa for left-handed)
|
| Pebble |
The frozen droplets of water applied to
a sheet of ice before a game, reducing friction between
the stone and the ice. |
| Peel |
A takeout shot where both played and struck
stones roll out of play. |
| Port |
A space between two lying stones, large
enough for another to pass through. |
| Raise |
To bump or move a lying stone a short
distance further, usually into the house. |
| Rink |
The building where curling takes place.
Or A curling team or The sheet of ice on which a game is
played. |
| Rock |
North American word for a curling stone,
seldom used in Europe. |
| Second |
Player who plays his two stones second.
|
| Sheet |
The area where one specific game is played.
|
| Shot |
A played stone or the word used to indicate
a point won at the end of an end. |
| Skip |
Player who usually plays his two stones
last, but not always. He is always the player who directs
the game and decides strategy and ice. |
| Steal |
To score shots in an end when you didn't
have last stone. |
| Stone |
The piece of granite we all love and cherish.
|
| Takeout |
A shot played hard enough to remove a
stone or stones from play. |
| Tee |
The cross in the button. |
| Third |
Player who plays his two stones third.
Usually the vice-skip who stands in the house when the skip
plays his stones. |
| Weight |
The momentum applied to a stone for distance.
|