What Does Piste Mean?

"Piste" is the French word for groomed trail or slope.

It has been adopted by North American skiers, and skiers in general, and most often combined with the word "off" - as in, "off-piste" - to describe backcountry skiing, or skiing on ungroomed, unmarked terrain.

Many ski words come from European languages, among them "schuss," "wedel" (pronounced vay-dul), "sitzmark," and, of course, "après ski."

The word "ski" itself is European in origin.

American skiers and snowboarders should not feel left out of the lexicon. They have contributed such terms as "bunny slope" and "yard sale."

Language, like skiing and snowboarding, is a work in progress.

Question: What does piste mean?