Find the odd sports term (sport vs equipment): Choose the option that names equipment rather than the sport itself.

Introduction / Context:
Sports vocabulary routinely distinguishes between the name of a sport and the equipment used to play it. In classification items, mixing these two levels (activity vs object) creates a clear odd-one-out. Three options are names of sports; one is a piece of equipment used in a different sport (badminton).

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Cricket: a sport played with bat, ball, and wickets.
• Hockey: a sport (field/ice variants) played with stick and ball/puck.
• Tennis: a sport played with racquet and ball on a court.
• Shuttlecock: cone-shaped projectile used in badminton; it is equipment, not a sport. (Spelled “shuttlecock” as a single word.)

Concept / Approach:
Group items by semantic type: sport (activity) versus equipment (object). Only one entry denotes equipment; the others denote the sporting discipline itself. This categorical difference is stable and unambiguous.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Attempt to pair each with a verb: one “plays” cricket/hockey/tennis, but one “uses” a shuttlecock to play badminton—confirming the level mismatch.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
They all denote full sports rather than an object used within a sport.

Common Pitfalls:
Do not confuse related sports (badminton vs tennis); focus on the category difference—sport name vs equipment.

Final Answer:
Shuttle Cock