steeplechase

steeple·chase
S1T1E1E1P3L1E1C3H4A1S1E1
/ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs/

noun

A horse race, either across open country, or over an obstacle course.

Less commonScrabble 19
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Meanings

nounsteeplechase (plural steeplechases)

plural steeplechases

  1. UKequestrianismA horse race, either across open country, or over an obstacle course.
  2. athleticsAn athletics event in which the runners have to run 3000 metres round a track, jumping hurdles and a water obstacle along the way.
verbsteeplechase (third-person singular simple present steeplechases, present participle steeplechasing, simple past and past participle steeplechased)

present singular third person steeplechases · participle present steeplechasing · participle past steeplechased · past steeplechased

  1. To take part in a steeplechase event.

Origin

Compound of steeple + chase, from horse races in 18th century Ireland in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish forhindringsløb
  • forhindringsløbathletics event
Dutch steeplechase, steeplechase
  • steeplechasehorse race
  • steeplechaseathletics event
Finnish esteratsastus, estejuoksu
  • esteratsastushorse race
  • estejuoksuathletics event
French steeple-chase, course au clocher
  • steeple-chasehorse race
  • course au clocherhorse race
  • steepleathletics event
German Steeplechase, Hindernislauf
  • Steeplechasehorse race
  • Hindernislaufathletics event
Greek στιπλ
  • στιπλ (stipl)athletics event
Hebrew מכשולים
  • מכשולים (mikhsholím)athletics event
Hungarian tereplovaglás, lovas akadályverseny
  • tereplovagláshorse race
  • lovas akadályversenyhorse race
  • akadályfutásathletics event
Icelandic hindrunarhlaup
  • hindrunarhlaupathletics event
Italian steeplechase, siepi
  • steeplechasehorse race
  • siepiathletics event
Japanese 障害物競馬
  • 障害物競馬 (shōgaibutsukēba)horse race
Korean 장애물 경마
  • 장애물 경마 (jang'aemul gyeongma)horse race
Russian стипль-чез
  • стипль-чез (stiplʹ-čez)horse race
Spanish carrera con obstáculos
  • carrera con obstáculosathletics event
Swedish hinderlöpning
  • hinderlöpningathletics event
Turkish su engelli koşu, hendekli koşu
  • su engelli koşuathletics event
  • hendekli koşuathletics event
Cite this entry
APA

steeplechase. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steeplechase

MLA

“steeplechase.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steeplechase. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “steeplechase,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steeplechase.

Source: steeplechase on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.