gym

Pluralgyms

Formsgyms, gyming, gymed

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A facility equipped with weights, cardio machines, and other gear for exercise and fitness training.

   She signed up at a gym that stays open around the clock.

   Many gyms offer personal training alongside their equipment.

   Note

   Weightlifters' gym culture lives in this sense, which is felt as distinct from the school gymnasium. Its signature phrase is hit the gym, and modifiers sort the kinds: a commercial gym, a home gym. Fitness center is the closest synonym, while health club and sports club are near neighbors. Lou Schuler, writing in Nate Green's Built for Show (2008), could complain that commercial gyms made his workouts worse.

2. 2
   nounabbreviationclipping

   Clipping of gymnasium; especially a school gymnasium.

   The pep rally filled the gym with cheering students.

   Graduation was held in the gym because of the storm.

   Note

   A shortening that keeps only one meaning of its parent. Gymnasium can also name a university-preparatory secondary school in some European countries, or the exercise grounds of ancient Greek youths. Gym carries neither of those meanings. In the sports-hall sense the two words split by register: gymnasium is the formal word, and gym is the everyday one. The school hall also differs in feel from the weights-and-machines gym.

3. 3
   noununcountable

   A scheduled school class devoted to physical education and exercise.

   Gym is my favorite class because we usually play volleyball.

   She twisted her ankle during gym this morning.

   SimilarPE

   Note

   On a school timetable, gym takes no article, like math or history: she has gym on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. It also works as a modifier in gym class and gym teacher. In those phrases the class and the room blur together, and nobody needs to choose between them.

4. 4
   noununcountableabbreviationclipping

   Clipping of gymnastics, often referring to a gymnastics class.

   She competes in gym at the regional level, scoring high on the vault.

   The coach runs gym practice with floor routines twice a week.

   Note

   Here the shortened word names the sport, and it usually goes without an article: she competes in gym. Like gymnastics it is uncountable, so it has no plural in this sense; gyms belongs to the buildings. In school settings it shades easily into the physical education class, and context usually decides which one is meant.

5. 5
   verbAustraliaIndiaSouth Africaintransitive

   To go to the gym, typically to exercise or train.

   They gym together on weekends to stay in shape.

   She gyms before sunrise to avoid the crowds.

   Similarexercise, train

   Note

   A verb of India, Australia and South Africa, most at home in its -ing form: go gymming, on the pattern of go swimming, or in lists such as yoga, dancing and gymming. Spelling wavers between gymming and gyming, and between gymmed and gymed. Sandeep Dahiya even stretches it to the mind: go gymming with thoughts. Outside these regions, go to the gym is the safer phrasing.

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