Term

Explanation

Back house weight

A stone thrown with sufficient momentum to reach the back of the house.

Back line

The line behind the house. Once crossed a stone is out of play.

Back of the house

This is the portion of the 12 foot ring, behind the Tee Line and in the proximity of the Centre line.

Biter

A stone just touching the outer edge of the 6ft circle, potentially counting.

Blank end

An end where no stone scores a point.

Button

The small centre of circles

Centerline

The line that runs down the middle from hack to hack.

Clean

To sweep lightly before a stone.

Clearing (peel)

A take-out shot that removes a stone from play and the delivered stone also rolls out of play.

Come around

A curl the draws narrowly past a guard and comes to rest hidden behind the guard.

Double

A take-out shot that clears two opposing stones from the house.

Draw

The amount of curling movement to describe the distance from the direction of release to the intended target.
or...
A stone played to end in the house, an instruction to play such a stone.

Draw and raise

The stone played pushes (promotes) a stone straight forward into the house.

Draw weight

An indication of the momentum needed for a stone to end in the house.

End

Component of a game, during which eight stones are played by each team in the same direction.

Extra end

The deciding end played when the score is level after all scheduled ends have been played.

Free Guard Zone

A stone is in the free guard zone if it is in the area between the Hog Line and Tee Line but not in the house;
In this zone it is not allowed to remove from play an opponent's stone until the first four stones have been played in that end.

Freeze

A stone played with perfect weight to rest against another.

Front of house weight

A stone thrown with sufficient weight to reach the "12 foot ring" in front of the tee line and at the proximity of the centre line.

Frosty ice

Ice with frost on the surface, caused by high humidity.

Give ice

To hold a brush for a player to aim at, as a skip to indicate the amount of ice needed to draw to a target.

Guard

A stone played to protect another.

Guard Weight

An indication of the momentum needed for a stone to end in front of the house.

Hack

The block at each end of a sheet, usually of rubber, which provides a foothold from which the stones are played.

Hammer

Term used to indicate who has last stone in an end.

Handle

Term to denote the rotation applied to a stone upon release.

Hit and Roll

A stone which removes an opponents stone and then slides to a new position some distance away. 

Hit and Stay

A take-out where the played stone stays in the spot where it made contact with the stationary stone.

Hog

A stone which fails to reach the hog line and is removed from play.

Hog line

The line each played stone has to cross to remain in play.

House

The circles which a stone has to reach in order to count.

In-turn

Slight rotation applied to a stone where the playing hand turns in towards the player (clockwise for right-handed players and vice versa for left-handed)

Lead

Player who plays his two stones first in an end for a team.

Out-turn

Slight rotation applied to a stone where the playing hand turns out from the player (anti-clockwise for right-handed players and vice versa for left-handed)

Pebble

The frozen droplets of water applied to a sheet of ice before a game, reducing friction between the stone and the ice.

Peel

A take-out shot where both played and struck stones roll out of play.

Port

A space between two lying stones, large enough for another to pass through.

Raise

To bump or move a lying stone a short distance further, usually into the house.

Raise take-out

A take-out made by hitting one stationary stone, which then hits, and removes from play, a second stationary stone.

Rink

The building where curling takes place.
or
A curling team
or
The sheet of ice on which a game is played.

Rock

North American word for a curling stone, seldom used in Europe.

Second

Player who plays his two stones second.

Sheet

The area where one specific game is played.

Shot

A played stone
or
The word used to indicate a point won at the end of an end.

Skip

Player who usually plays his two stones last, but not always. He is always the player who directs the game and decides strategy and ice.

Steal

To score shots in an end when you didn't have last stone.

Stone

The piece of granite we all love and cherish.

Sweeping

Sweeping keeps the stone in motion longer as a result of reducing friction in the path of a stone and so helps it to travel further, also it reduces the amount of curl which makes the stone travel straighter. 

Take-out

A shot played hard enough to remove a stone or stones from play.

Tee

The cross in the button.

Tee line

The line that runs through the centre of the house at 90º to the centre line.

Third

Player who plays his two stones third. Usually the vice-skip who stands in the house when the skip plays his stones.

Weight

The momentum applied to a stone for distance.

Zamboni ®

Ice Resurfacing Machine