heptathlon

noun

hep·​tath·​lon hep-ˈtath-lən  -ˌlän 

 nonstandard  -ˈta-thə-

: a 7-event athletic contest

specifically : a composite contest for female athletes that consists of the 100-meter hurdles, the high jump, the shot put, the 200-meter dash, the long jump, the javelin throw, and the 800-meter run

Examples of heptathlon in a Sentence

She won a gold medal in the heptathlon.

Recent Examples on the Web

Anna Hall celebrates after finishing her last event of the Olympic Trials heptathlon. —Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 27 July 2024

Since falling short of qualifying for the U.S. team in the heptathlon after a fall in the Olympic Trials before the 2020 games, Anna Hall has received regular encouraging calls from Joyner-Kersee while preparing for the 2024 Games. —Melissa Lockard, The Athletic, 18 July 2024

In many ways, support for the decathlon and heptathlon is not trending in the right direction. —Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 27 July 2024

Jackie Joyner-Kersee ends her brilliant heptathlon career with a victory at the Goodwill Games. —Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

hept- + -athlon (as in decathlon)

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

heptathlon

noun

hep·​tath·​lon

hep-ˈtath-lən,

-ˌlän

: an athletic contest made up of seven different track-and-field events