parkour

American

[pahr-koor, -kawr, -kohr] / pɑrˈkʊər, -ˈkɔr, -ˈkoʊr /

noun

the sport of moving along a route, typically in a city, trying to get around or through various obstacles in the quickest and most efficient manner possible, as by jumping, climbing, or running.

his amazing parkour skills.

parkour British

/ ˈpɑːkˌɔː /

noun

Also called: free running. the sport or activity of running through urban areas while performing various gymnastic manoeuvres over or on man-made obstacles such as walls and buildings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of parkour

2000-05; alteration of French parcours course, route < Medieval Latin percursus < Latin percurrere to run through < per- through + currere to run

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Downs: On “Broad City,” I had to learn and do parkour.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2025

As well as live music, there are dozens of events, including parkour, football, arts and crafts, and yoga.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2024

And then he does a bunch of parkour moves.

From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2024

And why did scientists teach a robot how to do parkour?

From Science Magazine • Mar. 21, 2024

She once scaled a rooftop at work, in their virtual parkour station, but that was an illusion.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023