football

[ foot-bawl ]

noun

1. a game in which two opposing teams of 11 players each defend goals at opposite ends of a field having goal posts at each end, with points being scored chiefly by carrying the ball across the opponent's goal line and by place-kicking or drop-kicking the ball over the crossbar between the opponent's goal posts. Compare conversion ( def 13 ), field goal ( def 1 ), safety ( def 6 ), touchdown.
2. the ball used in this game, an inflated oval with a bladder contained in a casing usually made of leather.
3. Chiefly British. Rugby ( def 1 ).
4. Chiefly British. soccer.
5. something sold at a reduced or special price.
6. any person or thing treated roughly or tossed about:

   They're making a political football of this issue.

7. (initial capital letter) U.S. Government Slang. a briefcase containing the codes and options the president would use to launch a nuclear attack, carried by a military aide and kept available to the president at all times.

verb (used with object)

1. Informal. to offer for sale at a reduced or special price.

football

/ ˈfʊtˌbɔːl /

noun

1. 1. any of various games played with a round or oval ball and usually based on two teams competing to kick, head, carry, or otherwise propel the ball into each other's goal, territory, etc See association football rugby Australian Rules American football Gaelic football
   2. ( as modifier )

      a football ground

      a football supporter

2. the ball used in any of these games or their variants
3. a problem, issue, etc, that is continually passed from one group or person to another and treated as a pretext for argument instead of being resolved

   he accused the government of using the strike as a political football

Derived Forms

• ˈfootˌballer, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of football¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, football is from Middle English fut ball. See foot, ball ¹

Example Sentences

As the basketball season for other Division I colleges staggers toward its conclusion and lower-division schools begin spring football campaigns, some college coaches and players fear the Ivy League will skip spring sports entirely.

From Washington Post

It’s a level of success that just doesn’t seem replicable, however much he owes to the fact that GM Jason Licht and head coach Bruce Arians built one of the most complete teams in football.

From FiveThirtyEight

He was far more concerned with football, his no-distraction reputation going back to his first head coaching stint in Cleveland.

From Washington Post

So if we can get our heads around that like we’ve done in football, football will fix itself.

From Washington Post

They took away the sidelines, and they did a good job of rallying to the football and making tackles.

From Washington Post

The clichés about football-obsessed husbands and frustrated wives are pretty heavy-handed.

From The Daily Beast

The Dallas Cowboys sell out their state-of-the art football stadium.

From The Daily Beast

His accuser was smeared and demeaned, and a star football player was allowed to keep on playing.

From The Daily Beast

Army B-squad players who fail to make it onto the varsity team after a year or two usually quit football.

From The Daily Beast

I watch football, basketball, and hockey on TV and sometimes “The Bass Pros” on Outdoor Channel.

From The Daily Beast

In his football days the "fighting face" of the Indian star had often appeared on sporting pages.

From Project Gutenberg

Under the heat of the exercise during the football game the victim's body generated the gas which he inhaled.

From Project Gutenberg

For weeks before it the children practiced racing, and trained themselves in jumping, football, quoiting and such sports.

From Project Gutenberg

Football would, be better, if it had been the right time of the year, and we had grass to play on; now it might create suspicion.

From Project Gutenberg

Football shall be played with a light india-rubber globe, and "pushing" shall be strictly forbidden.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• soccer