redshirt

Meanings

Noun

• an athlete who spends a year not participating in official athletic activities, but does not lose his or her eligibility to participate in following years
• An unimportant character introduced only to be killed in order to underscore the peril to the important characters; an expendable character.
• A person responsible for loading and unloading weapons, artillery, and equipment from aircraft.

Verb

• to place an athlete in a status wherein the athlete will spend a year not participating in official athletic activities, but will not lose his or her eligibility to participate in following years.
• To take on a status wherein one will spend a year not participating in official athletic activities.
• To hold a child out of kindergarten for one year in the hope that the child will do better academically and socially.

Origin

• red + shirt. Derived from the red jersey commonly worn by a player meeting this definition in practice scrimmages against the regulars.
• red + shirt. From the tendency of red-shirted ensigns in the Star Trek: The Original Series television program to die prematurely.
• red + shirt. From the red shirts worn by such people when on duty