Word
競馬
Meaning in Englishhorse racing
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 競馬 mean? It refers to horse racing as a sport and betting activity in Japan, where horses race on a track under organized circuits; it is a major form of entertainment and a significant sector in media, sports, and betting industries.
Main meanings
- Nationwide sport and betting activity, including professional circuits and wagering markets.
- Broader concept covering races, fans, venues, and industry terminology.
How to use it
Used in formal journalism and betting contexts, as well as casual conversation among fans; commonly appears in references to race meetings, racecourses, and the betting industry; standard in both official and media language without specialized jargon only.
Variants and close terms
- 中央競馬 (ちゅうおうけいば, chūō keiba) — national circuit.
- 地方競馬 (ちほうけいば, chihō keiba) — local circuits.
- 公営競馬 (こうえいけいば, kōei keiba) — government-run horse racing.
Composition
- 競: to compete or strive; 馬: horse; together they literally encode a competition of horses, i.e., a horse-racing event.
Etymology
keiba results from combining the on'yomi readings of 競 (kei) and 馬 (ba), yielding the pronunciation used today.
Word class
Noun (名詞)