Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "gasar motsa jiki" tana nufin wani taron al'ada ko takara wanda mutane ko ƙungiyoyi ke shiga cikin motsa jiki ko wasanni don tantance wanda ya yi nasara. Yawanci ya ƙunshi ƙarfin jiki, fasaha, da wasan motsa jiki, kuma ana iya sarrafa shi da ƙa'idodi da ƙa'idodi. Misalan wasannin motsa jiki sun haɗa da wasan guje-guje da tsalle-tsalle, wasannin ƙwallon kwando, tseren ninkaya, wasannin ƙwallon ƙafa, da wasannin motsa jiki, da sauransu. Makasudin gasar wasannin motsa jiki na iya bambanta, kama daga wasanni na nishaɗi da na zamantakewa zuwa ga ƙwararru da manyan gasa.