Meanings
nounbody English (uncountable)
- idiomaticuncountableA body motion made to coax an object already propelled to go in a desired direction.
A mountain rider will as he loses momentum will turn out a bit, reducing the angle of attack. He will continue carving switchbacks, using body english jumping from one side of his sled to the other, as he continues climbing higher and higher.
2002 April 29, mixgreg, “Mountain Sledding”, in rec.sport.snowmobiles (Usenet)
Origin
First attested 1908.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
body English. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/body%20English
MLA
“body English.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/body%20English. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “body English,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/body%20English.
Source: body English on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.