motocross

IPA/ˈməʊtəʊkrɒs/
IPA/ˈməʊtəʊkrɔːs/

motocross — noun

1. a dirt-track sport where riders race motorbikes over jumps, mud, and sharp bends

1.nounB2
Definition

a dirt-track sport where riders race motorbikes over jumps, mud, and sharp bends

Example

Felipe spends every Sunday practising motocross on a muddy track outside town.

practise motocross on a muddy track

The twins started motocross after watching local riders jump over dirt hills.

Common collocations
  • do motocross
  • take up motocross
  • motocross bike
  • motocross rider
  • motocross track
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

do motocross

take up motocross

motocross + noun (motocross bike, motocross track)

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when you mean the sport in general. It often appears after verbs like 'do', 'try', and 'take up', or before nouns such as 'bike', 'track', and 'rider'.

Common Mistakes

My brother does a motocross every weekend.
My brother does motocross every weekend.
Use no article when you mean the sport in general.

2. one event in this sport, run on a dirt course with jumps, sharp turns, and other

2.nounC1
Definition

one event in this sport, run on a dirt course with jumps, sharp turns, and other obstacles

Example

The motocross at Oak Ridge drew hundreds of fans on Saturday.

Yan missed the first motocross of the season because his bike broke down.

countable: the first motocross of the season

Common collocations
  • hold a motocross
  • watch a motocross
  • local motocross
  • summer motocross
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

a motocross

the first motocross of the season

hold / host a motocross

Usage Note

Countable when you mean one event, especially with words like 'first', 'local', or a place name. A motocross is one race, while motocross without an article usually means the sport overall.

Word family

  • motocrosser
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Motocross, dirt-bike racing, supercross, and enduro all involve off-road motorcycles, but they are not identical. Motocross usually means short races on closed dirt tracks with jumps, bends, and several laps. Dirt-bike racing is a looser everyday term and can refer to motocross or similar off-road racing more generally. Supercross is a stadium version with an artificial course, bigger jumps, and tighter turns. Enduro focuses more on endurance and longer natural routes than on repeated laps around one track. So you can say 'Felipe trains for motocross every weekend,' but 'an enduro' suggests a longer, more demanding event, while 'supercross' often makes listeners picture an arena show.

motocross ↗dirt-bike racingsupercrossenduro

Common collocations

Nouns

  • motocross bike
  • motocross rider
  • motocross track
  • motocross helmet
  • motocross event

Phrases

  • take up motocross
  • watch a motocross
  • train for motocross

Prepositions

  • in motocross
  • at a motocross

Etymology

English

'Motocross' was created in English in the 1900s by combining 'motor' with 'cross-country'. The name reflects motorcycle racing away from paved roads, across dirt, mud, hills, and jumps. As the sport developed, the shortened form 'motocross' became the usual name for both the sport and an individual race.