water polo

American  

noun

1. an aquatic game played by two teams of seven swimmers each, the object being to score goals by pushing, carrying, or passing an inflated ball and tossing it into the opponent's goal, defended by a goalkeeper.

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water polo British  

noun

1. a game played in water by two teams of seven swimmers in which each side tries to throw or propel an inflated ball into the opponents' goal

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Etymology

Origin of water polo

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Dane spent his high school years as a competitive swimmer and water polo player.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

A former competitive swimmer and water polo player, he said ALS — also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease — initially caused the right side of his body to stop working.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

By day he joined guests, mainly Western tourists, in pool sessions of aerobics and water polo, while at night he helped stage dance shows and quizzes.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

Since the games were taking place only weeks after Red Army tanks had crushed the Hungarian uprising, the tension at the water polo semifinal between Hungary and the Soviet Union was extreme.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

“If they can filter the salt and fish guts and whale turds out of ocean water, I’m sure they can manage anything left behind by the water polo meatheads,” Kelton says.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman