30 Must-Know Swimming Terms, Phrases and Slang

67 swimming terms explained, from IM, flip turn and streamline to negative split, taper and split, plus the slang and sayings swimming gave English.

Swimming terminology sounds simple until you stand on a pool deck at a meet and hear half of it shouted at once. The words related to swimming below name the four strokes, the parts of a race and the equipment that hangs off the lane rope, and the words associated with training, from intervals to the taper, come with them. The swimming glossary further down is there for the single term you came looking for.

New to the sport? Our guide to swimming rules explains how a race is run and won, which makes most of the terms below fall into place.

👉 Think you know swimming? Test yourself with our Swimming Quiz.

Must-Know Swimming Terms, Phrases and Slang:

1. Backstroke
2. Breaststroke
3. Butterfly
4. Dive
5. Flip turn
6. Freestyle
7. IM (Individual Medley)
8. Lane
9. Medley Relay
10. Pool
11. Qualifying Time
12. Relay
13. Streamline
14. Taper
15. Warm-down
16. Warm-up
17. Negative split
18. Cap
19. Goggles
20. Heat
21. Kickboard
22. Lap
23. Pace Clock
24. Personal Best
25. Split
26. Stroke
27. Swim-off
28. Timer
29. Touch Pad
30. Underwater Kick

Swimming Glossary: Every Term A to Z

Terms A to D

Term	What It Means
Anchor	The last swimmer in a relay. Teams usually save one of their fastest legs for it.
Backstroke	The stroke swum on the back, with alternating arm recoveries over the water and a flutter kick.
Backstroke flags	Flags across the pool 5 metres from each wall to warn backstrokers of the turn.
Bilateral breathing	Breathing to both sides in front crawl, usually every third stroke.
Blocks	The raised starting platforms at the end of each lane that swimmers dive from.
Breaststroke	The stroke with simultaneous arm and leg movements and a frog kick. The slowest of the four and the most technical.
Bulkhead	A movable wall that splits a long pool into shorter sections.
Butterfly	The stroke with both arms recovering over the water together and a dolphin kick. Physically the hardest.
Cap	The silicone or latex head covering that holds the hair down and cuts drag.
Catch	The moment at the front of the stroke when the hand takes hold of the water and starts pulling.
Circle swimming	Swimming up one side of the lane and back down the other so several swimmers can share.
Deck	The floor around the pool, where coaches, officials and swimmers waiting to race stand.
Dive	The racing start from the blocks, entering the water in a streamline.
Dolphin kick	A kick with both legs moving together, used in butterfly and underwater.
DQ	Disqualification. Given for a false start, an illegal turn, a wrong stroke or an early relay takeover.
Drill	A part-stroke exercise done to fix one piece of technique rather than to swim fast.

Terms E to L

Term	What It Means
Eggbeater	A rotating leg kick for treading water, used in water polo and synchronised swimming.
False start	Moving on the blocks before the starting signal. Under current rules it costs the swimmer the race.
Fins	Training flippers that increase kick propulsion and let a swimmer work on speed and body position.
Flip turn	Somersaulting into the wall in freestyle and backstroke so the turn costs no speed.
Flutter kick	The alternating leg kick used in front crawl and backstroke.
Freestyle	The event where any stroke is allowed, which in practice always means the front crawl.
Front crawl	The stroke most swimmers use in freestyle.
Goggles	Eyewear that keeps chlorine out and gives clear vision under water.
Heat	One of the preliminary races. The fastest times across all heats move on to the final.
IM	Individual medley. One swimmer covers butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle in that order.
Interval	The clock time a set is swum on, including the rest. “100s on 1:30” means one every ninety seconds.
Kickboard	The float held at arm’s length so a swimmer can work the legs alone.
Lane	One marked channel of the pool, separated by floating lines that damp down the waves.
Lane line	The floating rope between lanes that also calms waves.
Lap	One length of the pool in common American usage. Some clubs use it for down and back, so ask before counting.
Lifeguard	The person watching the water whose job is to spot and reach a swimmer in trouble.
Long course	Racing in a 50 metre pool. Olympic swimming is long course.

Terms M to S

Term	What It Means
Medley relay	A relay in which four swimmers cover backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle in that order.
Negative split	Swimming the second half of a race faster than the first.
Open turn	A turn without a somersault, touching the wall with the hands first.
Pace clock	The large clock on the pool wall that swimmers read to start sets and check their times.
Paddles	Plastic plates strapped to the hands to increase resistance and sharpen the catch.
Personal best	A swimmer’s fastest time ever in one event. Shortened to PB, or best time.
Pool	The competition venue itself, standardly 25 or 50 metres long with marked lanes.
Prelims	The heats swum in the morning session of a meet.
Pull buoy	The foam float held between the thighs so the legs stop working and the arms do everything.
Pullout	The underwater pull and kick after the start and each turn in breaststroke.
Qualifying time	The time standard a swimmer must have already swum to enter a given meet.
Relay	A team event in which four swimmers each cover an equal part of the distance.
Scratch	To withdraw from an event after entering it.
Sculling	Small figure-of-eight hand movements to hold or move in the water.
Seed time	The entry time that decides a swimmer’s heat and lane.
Sendoff	The interval at which a swimmer starts each repeat in a set.
Set	A block of a training session, such as ten 100s, swum to a given interval and purpose.
Short course	Racing in a 25 metre pool. More turns, so times are faster than long course.
Split	The time for one part of a race, usually each 50 or 100. Splits show whether the pace held.
Sprint	A short, all-out race or effort. In competition it usually means the 50 and 100 distances.
Streamline	The tight position off every wall and start, arms overhead, hands stacked, to cut resistance.
Stroke	One of the four competitive styles: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
Swim meet	A swimming competition. One meet runs over one or more sessions of heats and finals.
Swim-off	An extra race between swimmers who tied for the last place in a final.

Terms T to W

Term	What It Means
Taper	The planned drop in training volume before a target meet, so the swimmer arrives rested and fast.
Tech suit	A high-tech racing suit that compresses the body and reduces drag.
Timer	The official or electronic system that records each swimmer’s time.
Touch pad	The pressure-sensitive panel at the end of the lane that stops a swimmer’s clock when touched.
Treading water	Staying upright and afloat in one place by working the legs and hands.
Tumble turn	The British name for the flip turn.
Underwater kick	The dolphin kicks taken under the surface after a start or turn, up to the 15 metre mark.
Warm-down	The easy swim after a race or hard set that helps the body clear out and recover.
Warm-up	The swim before racing or training that raises muscle temperature and gets the stroke moving.
Whip kick	The breaststroke kick.

What Is It Called When…? Swimming Terms by Situation

Know what happened but not the word for it? Find the situation on the left and the swimming term on the right.

When…	It Is Called
A swimmer somersaults at the wall	Flip turn
A swimmer touches the wall and turns without a somersault	Open turn
A swimmer stays in one place in deep water	Treading water
A swimmer swims all four strokes in one race	IM
Four swimmers each swim one stroke	Medley relay
The second half is faster than the first	Negative split
Training is reduced before a big meet	Taper
A swimmer leaves the block too early	False start
Two swimmers tie for a place	Swim-off
A swimmer kicks underwater after a turn	Underwater kick
A swimmer holds a tight body position after a push-off	Streamline
Swimmers share a lane by swimming up one side and down the other	Circle swimming
A swimmer withdraws from an event	Scratch
A swimmer swims the time needed for a meet	Qualifying time
A swimmer breaks a rule and is not counted	DQ
A swimmer breathes to both sides	Bilateral breathing
The time is taken for each part of a race	Split
The last swimmer of a relay	Anchor

#1 Backstroke

The only competitive stroke swum on the back, and the only race that starts in the water, with the swimmer holding the wall or a starting grip. Flags hang 5 metres from each wall so swimmers know when the turn is coming.

In a sentence: “She’s leading at the 100 in the backstroke, but the last length is the hardest.”

#2 Breaststroke

The slowest of the four competitive strokes, with a simultaneous arm pull and a whip kick. The rules are strict: the head must break the surface on every cycle, and touches at turns and finish must be with both hands at the same time.

In a sentence: “He got disqualified in the breaststroke for a one-hand touch.”

#3 Butterfly

A stroke with both arms recovering over the water at the same time and a dolphin kick. It developed in the 1930s from breaststroke and became a separate event at the 1956 Olympics.

In a sentence: “The butterfly is the most tiring stroke, the last 25 metres always hurt.”

#4 Dive

The start from the blocks, with the swimmer entering the water head first. Since 2008 most blocks have a sloped back plate that lets swimmers push off with the back foot.

In a sentence: “Great dive, he’s half a body length ahead after the breakout.”

#5 Flip turn

A turn in which the swimmer does a forward somersault near the wall, pushes off on the back and rotates to the front. It is used in freestyle and, with a different rule, in backstroke. In Britain it is also called a tumble turn.

In a sentence: “Her flip turns are so fast she gains a metre on every wall.”

#6 Freestyle

Formally an event in which any stroke is allowed, but in practice almost everyone swims front crawl, because it is the fastest. In medley events freestyle means any stroke other than the other three.

In a sentence: “The 50 freestyle is one length in a long-course pool.”

#7 IM (Individual Medley)

An event in which one swimmer does all four strokes in the order butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. The usual distances are 200 and 400 metres, and 100 metres in short-course pools.

In a sentence: “The 400 IM is the toughest race on the programme.”

#8 Lane

One of the marked strips of the pool, separated by lane lines. Competition pools usually have eight or ten lanes, and the fastest swimmers from the heats get the middle lanes in the final.

In a sentence: “She qualified fastest, so she’s in lane four.”

#9 Medley Relay

A relay of four swimmers, each swimming one stroke in the order backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. Backstroke comes first because it starts in the water.

In a sentence: “The medley relay is often the last event of the meet.”

#10 Pool

A competition pool is either long course, 50 metres, or short course, 25 metres. Times from the two are not comparable because short course has more turns.

In a sentence: “That’s a short-course time, so it doesn’t count for the Olympics.”

#11 Qualifying Time

The time a swimmer must reach to be allowed to enter a meet or event. National federations and World Aquatics set qualifying times for major championships.

In a sentence: “She made the qualifying time by three hundredths.”

#12 Relay

A race in which four swimmers each swim one leg. The next swimmer may leave the block only after the incoming swimmer touches the wall, otherwise the team is disqualified.

In a sentence: “Their relay changeovers were perfect, that’s what won it.”

#13 Streamline

The tight body position after a push-off or dive: arms stretched over the head, hands on top of each other, legs together. Good streamline reduces drag and makes every wall faster.

In a sentence: “Hold the streamline off every wall, don’t start kicking straight away.”

#14 Taper

Reducing training volume in the last weeks before a big meet so the body can recover and swim fast. A taper usually lasts one to three weeks.

In a sentence: “She’s tapering for the nationals, so training is short and sharp.”

#15 Warm-down

Easy swimming after a race or training to help the body recover. At big meets there is a separate warm-down pool next to the competition pool.

In a sentence: “Do your warm-down before you go to the medal ceremony.”

#16 Warm-up

Swimming before a race to prepare body and mind. At meets the competition pool is open for warm-up before the session starts, and the lanes are very crowded.

In a sentence: “Warm-up starts at 7:30, so be on deck by 7:15.”

#17 Negative split

Swimming the second half of a race faster than the first. It shows good pacing and is how many distance races are won.

In a sentence: “He negative split the 1500, that’s why he caught everybody on the last 200.”

#18 Cap

A swim cap made of latex or silicone. It reduces drag, keeps hair out of the face and in competitions often shows the swimmer’s country or club.

In a sentence: “She wears two caps with the goggle strap in between.”

#19 Goggles

Eye protection that keeps water out and lets swimmers see the black line and the wall. Racing goggles are small and flat to reduce drag.

In a sentence: “His goggles filled with water on the dive, and he swam blind.”

#20 Heat

A preliminary race. At major meets, the fastest swimmers from the heats go on to the semifinals or the final.

In a sentence: “She was third in her heat but eighth overall.”

#21 Kickboard

A foam board that the swimmer holds in front of them to train the legs only. It is one of the oldest training aids in the sport.

In a sentence: “Next set: 8 by 50 kick with a kickboard.”

#22 Lap

In common use either one length of the pool or there and back. Swimmers and coaches usually count lengths to avoid confusion.

In a sentence: “That’s 64 laps of a 25-metre pool for a mile.”

#23 Pace Clock

A large clock with a second hand on the pool deck, used to time sets and intervals. Swimmers leave on the top or the bottom of the clock.

In a sentence: “Leave on the top, 50s on the minute.”

#24 Personal Best

The fastest time a swimmer has done in an event, usually abbreviated PB. Times are kept separately for long course and short course.

In a sentence: “She took two seconds off her personal best.”

#25 Split

The time for part of a race, such as each 50 metres. Splits show how the swimmer paced the race.

In a sentence: “Look at the splits, he went out too fast.”

#26 Stroke

One of the four competitive swimming styles, or a single arm movement. Coaches count strokes per length to measure efficiency.

In a sentence: “Try to take two fewer strokes per length.”

#27 Swim-off

An extra race between swimmers who tie for a place that decides who reaches the next round. It is swum after the session ends.

In a sentence: “Two swimmers tied for eighth, so there’s a swim-off for the final.”

#28 Timer

An official who times a lane by hand as a back-up to the electronic timing. At club meets, parents often volunteer as timers.

In a sentence: “The timers in lane five had a different time from the touch pad.”

#29 Touch Pad

The electronic pad on the wall that stops the clock when the swimmer touches it. It measures to a hundredth of a second, and a firm touch is needed to trigger it.

In a sentence: “He touched the pad soft and lost the race by a hundredth.”

#30 Underwater Kick

Dolphin kicking under water after a start or turn, which is faster than swimming at the surface. Since 1998 swimmers must surface within 15 metres.

In a sentence: “Her underwater kick takes her to the 15-metre mark every time.”

Swimming Slang Players and Fans Actually Use

Slang	What It Means
Fly	Short for butterfly.
Free	Short for freestyle, as in “the 200 free”.
Back	Short for backstroke.
Breast	Short for breaststroke.
Shave down	Shaving body hair before a big meet to reduce drag and feel faster in the water.
Fly and die	Starting a butterfly race too fast and fading badly at the end.
Pool rat	Someone who spends every free hour at the pool.
Junk yardage	Easy swimming that adds distance but little training value.
Chlorine hair	Dry, green-tinged hair from hours in chlorinated water.
Pool deck	The area around the pool, where coaches stand.
Suit up	To put on a racing suit, which can take 15 minutes for a tech suit.

Swimming Expressions and Sayings in Everyday English

• Sink or swim: To be left to succeed or fail by one’s own efforts. Originally referring to someone thrown into water to see if they could swim.
• Thrown in at the deep end: Put in a difficult situation without preparation. From the deep end of a swimming pool.
• Swim against the tide: To do the opposite of what most people are doing. From swimming against the current.
• Dive in: To start something with enthusiasm and without hesitation.
• Test the waters: To try something carefully before committing to it, like checking how cold the water is.
• Keep your head above water: To manage to survive, especially financially. From the basic task of not drowning.

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