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noun Uncommon

Adidas

A-dee-das

Adidas (noun) means clothing or footwear made by the Adidas brand, especially trainers. Example: “He turned up to training in a fresh pair of Adidas.”

noun
1
Clothing or footwear made by the Adidas brand, especially trainers.
"He turned up to training in a fresh pair of Adidas."
"She's worn nothing but Adidas since she was a teenager."
2
Slang for grilled chicken feet on a skewer, sold as street food in parts of Africa.
"Street vendors sold adidas alongside grilled maize."

How to use Adidas

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCasually used to mean shoes or clothing from the Adidas brand, or, in some African slang, grilled chicken feet (a joking nod to the shape resembling a three-stripe logo).

When to use it

Informal; the chicken-feet sense is regional slang, mainly heard in parts of Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Word forms

Adidas plural, Adidases plural

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He turned up to training in a fresh pair of _____.

Etymology

From the German sportswear company Adidas, named after its founder Adolf "Adi" Dassler.

Origin: German

Rhymes for Adidas

See all rhymes for Adidas →

Frequently asked questions

What does “Adidas” mean?

The word “Adidas” means clothing or footwear made by the Adidas brand, especially trainers. In plain terms, casually used to mean shoes or clothing from the Adidas brand, or, in some African slang, grilled chicken feet (a joking nod to the shape resembling a three-stripe logo).

How do you pronounce “Adidas”?

“Adidas” is pronounced A-dee-das (/ˈædiˌdæs/ in IPA).

How do you use “Adidas” in a sentence?

Here is “Adidas” used in a sentence: “He turned up to training in a fresh pair of Adidas.”

What part of speech is “Adidas”?

“Adidas” is a noun.

Where does the word “Adidas” come from?

The word “Adidas” comes from German. From the German sportswear company Adidas, named after its founder Adolf "Adi" Dassler.

Is “Adidas” a common word?

“Adidas” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “Adidas” have?

“Adidas” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: clothing or footwear made by the Adidas brand, especially trainers.

Why is grilled chicken feet on a skewer sometimes called "Adidas"?

This is a slang term used in parts of Africa for grilled chicken feet sold as street food, an informal nickname unrelated to the brand's clothing or footwear. It is a distinct, colloquial usage separate from the standard meaning of Adidas as a clothing and trainer brand.

Is "Adidas" always capitalized?

Yes, since it refers to the Adidas brand or its products, "Adidas" is written with a capital letter as a proper noun in both its clothing and footwear sense and its street-food slang sense.

What is the difference between the two meanings of "Adidas"?

One sense refers literally to clothing or footwear made by the Adidas brand, especially trainers, while the other is an unrelated slang term for grilled chicken feet on a skewer sold as street food in parts of Africa.

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