English

Noun

champeen ‎(plural champeens)

1. (nonstandard) A champion.
   • 1912, P. G. Wodehouse, The Prince and Betty, ch. 19:

     "He could whip a dozen Cyclone Dicks in the same evening with his eyes shut."

     "He's the next champeen," admitted the first speaker.

   • 1917, Jeffrey Farnol, The Definite Object, ch. 24:

     "You're right, me lad, I was the best fightin' man, the greatest champeen as ever was."

   • 1920, William MacLeod Raine, The Big-Town Round-Up, Ch. 1:

     "I'd take a li'l' bet that New York ain't lookin' for no champeen ropers or bronco-busters," said Stace.

   • 1991, "Entertainment: Will Tyson Do The Encores?," Time, 12 Aug:

     In this corner, the operatic heavyweight from Modena, Italy, Luciano Pavarotti! And in this corner, that Iberian emoter, champeen tenor Placido Domingo!

   • 2005, Paul Oerjuerge, "Armstrong untouchable to the end," The Sun (San Bernadino, USA), 24 July (retrieved 18 Oct 2010):

     So, there he goes, riding off into the golden sunset of history. Lance Armstrong, champeen of the cycling world.

Usage notes

• Originally used especially to refer to a champion in the sport of boxing, but since extended to other contexts.