umpire
UK: ˈʌmpaɪə | US: ˈʌmpaɪər
n. an official who enforces rules and settles disputes in sports or games
vt. to act as an umpire in a game or contest
No data yet.
The word "umpire" entered English in the late 14th century from Old French nonper ("odd number, third party"), derived from non ("not") + per ("equal"). It originally referred to a neutral arbitrator in disputes. Over time, nonper evolved phonetically to noumpere in Middle English, then umpire by mistaken division (e.g., "a noumpere" → "an oumpere"). The modern sense of a sports official emerged in the 17th century, retaining the core idea of impartial decision-making.
The umpire signaled a foul after the player stepped out of bounds.
She was chosen to umpire the championship match due to her experience.
Players must respect the umpire's final decision.
The tennis umpire overruled the line judge's call.
His dream was to become a professional baseball umpire.