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shuttlecock

Games
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Shuttlecock is the feathered or plastic projectile struck in badminton and related games.

Detailed Definition
Shuttlecock appears in poetry as a delicate emblem of the airborne exchange and the object that must be kept aloft. In literary contexts it represents the light focus of the contest. Poets draw on the shuttlecock to illustrate themes of the continuous volley, the sudden drop, and the cultural object that has framed the poetry of the racket and the graceful combat of the air.
Example
Example in poetry:
The shuttlecock crosses the net as a figure for any gift or challenge that returns transformed; Verse of the court lets the cork and feathers carry the weight of social or erotic exchange; “She sent the shuttlecock back with a spin that altered the meaning of the afternoon” illustrates redirected force; Educational poetry shows the object as both toy and messenger; Poets keep the term when the flight itself must become part of the meaning.
Additional Notes
Shuttlecock, whether of traditional feathers or modern plastic, concentrates the drama of the racket game into a single flying object that must be kept aloft by mutual attention. Poets who linger on the projectile often shift focus from the players to the space between them. Classroom discussion can usefully contrast the soft, floating flight of the shuttlecock with the heavier trajectories of the tennis ball. Related implements include the racket and the net. The image is effective when the contest must remain light, continuous, and unresolved.
Other Meanings of “shuttlecock”
Also Known As
birdie bird shuttle
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