Meanings
plural keirins
- countableuncountablecycle racingA form of track cycling originating in Japan, where riders must initially race behind a motorised pace-setter, the derny.
The keirin is one of the few track cycling events not originating in the West, having been developed in Japan. […] Keirin is extrememly popular in Japan, in particular because of gambling on the races.
2011, Bill Mallon, Jeroen Heijmans, Historical Dictionary of Cycling, Scarecrow Press, →ISBN, page 1131 more example
Japan, however, has developed the distinctive cycling subculture of Keirin racing. Launched in Japanese velodromes in 1948 as a state regulated system designed to cream-off a percentage of stake money to support Japan's newly reconstituted bicycle industry […]
2016, Glen Norcliffe, Critical Geographies of Cycling: History, Political Economy and Culture, Routledge, →ISBN
Origin
- Japanese競輪“racing cycles”
- Englishkeirin
From Japanese 競輪 (keirin, “racing cycles”).
More words from Japanese
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish keirin
- keirinform of track cycling
French keirin
- keirinform of track cycling
Greek κέιριν
- κέιριν (kéirin)form of track cycling
Japanese 競輪
- 競輪 (keirin)form of track cycling
Russian кейрин
- кейрин (kejrin)form of track cycling
Cite this entry
keirin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keirin
“keirin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keirin. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keirin,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keirin.
Source: keirin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.