Deking

/ˈdiːkɪŋ/ noun

Definition

The act of faking out an opponent in hockey by pretending to shoot or move in one direction before going another way.

Etymology

From Canadian English 'deke,' which is a shortening of 'decoy.' The term emerged in hockey culture in the mid-20th century, derived from the idea of deceiving an opponent like a decoy would distract a hunter.

Kelly Says

Hockey created this word by shortening 'decoy' into 'deke'—it's a perfect example of how sports communities develop their own linguistic shortcuts that spread into everyday speech among fans.

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