n. 1. An athletic training technique, used especially in running, in which periods of intense effort alternate with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout. 2. A workout using this technique. [Swedish, speed play : fart, running, speed (from fara, to go, move, from Old Norse; see per-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + lek, play (from leka, to play, from Old Norse leika).] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.