langlauf

English

Etymology

Borrowed from German Langlauf.

Noun

langlauf (countable and uncountable, plural langlaufs)

1. (uncountable) Cross-country skiing.
   • 1948, Arnold Lunn, Mountains of Memory, page 204:

     Horn's job was to push me down the steepest parts of the langlauf course in the pious hope that a few heavy falls would teach me more respect for Norwegian langlaufs.

   • 2010, Julian Barnes, Talking It Over, page 95:

     I'm buying a rowing machine, an exercise bicycle, a langlauf podium, a bullworker.

2. (countable) A langlauf run; a trip cross-country skiing.
   • 1935, Erich Kästner, Three Men in the Snow: A Story, page 55:

     There, overcome by the view and a sense of pure delight, one loses the last vestige of human reason, binds planks to one's feet and rushes downward, over wind-crust and powdered snow, over icy ridges and drifted fences, with jumps, turns, traverses, langlaufs and schuss-runs into the valley.

   • 1937, The Ski Bulletin - Volume 7, Issues 14-15:

     The winter of '98 saw the Sunset Mine kept open by means of what sounds like one of the toughest langlaufs of all time.

   • 1948, Arnold Lunn, Mountains of Memory, page 204:

     Horn's job was to push me down the steepest parts of the langlauf course in the pious hope that a few heavy falls would teach me more respect for Norwegian langlaufs.

   • 1949, Louis R. Oshins, Champions' Book of Sports, page 137:

     He went on langlaufs to develop endurance.

   • 1964, Walkabout - Volume 30:

     Those who were drinking "sipped at long glasses of gluhwein, a delicious concoction of warmed burgundy, cinnamon and raisins, and chattered about the day's runs, about technical aspects of langlaufs, cornices, laniéres and christies.

Verb

langlauf (third-person singular simple present langlaufs, present participle langlaufing, simple past and past participle langlaufed)

1. To go cross-country skiing.
   • 1970 October, “Ski Sayings”, in Skiing, volume 23, number 2, page 158:

     He who langlaufs last langlaufs longest.

   • 1979, John Le Carré, Smiley's People, Folio Society, published 2010, page 286:

     ‘Weekends the family make excursions. Romp in the woods, langlauf, play badminton.’

   • 1996, Jack Higgins, The Valhalla Exchange, page 251:

     He langlaufed across the small plateau that tilted gently upward, and paused on the ridge.

   • 2011 Nov-Dec, “Winter Carnival Centennial”, in Skiing Heritage Journal, volume 23, number 6, page 6:

     They langlaufed into Hot Sulphur Springs at 9 p.m., and found the Grand Ball in progress.

   • 2012, Norman N. Greenwood, Recollections of a Scientist: Boyhood and Youth in Australia:

     We then langlaufed over to 'Higgie' (Mt Higginbottom) and finally back to the Diamantina about 3.30.

Derived terms

• langlaufer