This is a glossary of terms you hear in curling

B

• Back line - The line right behind the house. If stone completely crosses the back line, it is removed from play.
• Biter - A stone that barely touches one of the house rings.
• Blank end - An end in which no stones are touching the house, and thus no points are scored. "Blanking" is the process of making an end blank.
• Bonspiel - German for "good game," this is the term used for a curling tournament.

D

• Double - A particular kind of takeout shot in which two stones are removed from play.
• Draw - A shot that lands in play without hitting another stone out, as opposed to a takeout shot.

E

• End - Similar to an inning in baseball. In an end, each team throws 8 rocks, 2 per player in alternating fashion.

G

• Guard - A shot that lands in front of the house. Guards are used so that future rocks will curl around it and be protected.

H

• Hack - Similar to a starting block in track and field, the foothold device where the person who throws the rock pushes off for delivery.
• Hammer - A nickname for the last rock in an end.
• House - The three concentric circles where points are scored.
• Hog line - The line which the stone must completely cross to be considered in play; the other hog line indicates the line before which the thrower must let go of the rock during delivery.

L

• Lead - The name given to the player who throws the first two rocks for a team.

S

• Second - The name given to the palyer who throws the third and fourth rocks for a team.
• Skip - The name given to the player who calls the shots and traditionally throws the last two rocks. This is the most experienced player on a team.

T

• Takeout - A rock that hits another rock and removes it for play.
• Tee line - The line that goes across the house, splitting it into two halves.
• Triple - A particular kind of takeout shot in which three stones are removed from play.

V

• Vice-skip - The name given to the player who throws the fifth and sixth rocks for a team. He also acts as the skip while the normal skip throws his last two rocks.

W

• Weight - The amount of speed given to a rock; more weight travels faster, less weight travels slower.