Dictionary

football en · NOUN

Pronunciation

[ˈfɵʔ(t̚)boːl] (British, Southern, Standard)
/ˈfʊʈˌbɔːl/ (South-Asia)
[ˈfʊʔt̚bɔːl] (Received-Pronunciation)
(Australia) audio
/ˈfʊt.bɔl/ without the cot–caught merger
/ˈfʊt.bɔːl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
[ˈfʊʔt̚bɑɫ] (cot-caught-merger)
[ˈfʊʔt̚bɒɫ] (Canada)
/ˈfʊt.bɑl/ (cot-caught-merger)
/ˈfɵt.boːl/ (British, Southern, Standard)
/ˈfʊt.bɒl/ (Canada)
/fʉt.bɔl/ (Northern-Ireland, Scotland)
[ˈfʊʔt̚bɔɫ] without the cot–caught merger
/ˈfʊɖ.bɔːl/ (South-Asia)
[ˈfʊʔtbɔːl] (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈfʊt.boːl/ (Australia, New-Zealand)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ped- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *pṓds Proto-Germanic *fōts Proto-West Germanic *fōt Old English fōt Middle English fot Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der. Proto-Germanic *balluz Old English *beall Middle English bal Middle English fotbal English football From Middle English fotbal, footbal, equivalent to foot + ball, because the ball was primarily manipulated with the feet in early versions of the game (though some modern varieties involve more handling than kicking). The name for the briefcase is a play on “dropkick”, the code name of an early version of the nuclear war plan.

Meanings

(countable, general, uncountable) A sport played on foot in which teams attempt to get a ball into a goal or zone defended by the other team.
- [page 104] [T]he Footeball play, […] could not poſſibly haue grovvne to this greatnes, that it is novv at, not haue bene ſo much vſed, as it is in all places, if it had not had great helpes, both to health and ſtrength, […] [page 105] [T]he Footeball ſtrengtheneth and bravvneth the vvhole body, and by prouoking ſuperfluities dovvnevvard, it diſchargeth the head, and vpper partes, it is good for the bovvells, and to driue dovvne the ſtone and grauell from both the bladder and kidneies. It helpeth vveake hammes, by much mouing, beginning at a meane, and ſimple ſhankes by thickening of the fleſh, no leſſe than riding doth. Yet raſh running & to much force oftẽtimes [oftentimes] breaketh ſome invvard cõduit [conduit], & bringeth ruptures. 1581, Richard Mulcaster, “Of the Ball”, in Positions wherin Those Primitive Circvmstances be Examined, which are Necessarie for the Training Vp of Children, either for Skill in Their Booke, or Health in Their Bodie. […], London: […] Thomas Vautrollier for Thomas Chare [i.e., Chard], →OCLC, pages 104 and 105:
- Roman and medieval football matches were more violent than any modern type of football.
(countable) The ball used in any game called "football".
- The league said the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots used footballs that didn’t meet league specifications in the first half of the AFC championship game last Sunday. 2015 January 23, Ralph Ellis, “NFL says it’s looking into why footballs were deflated at Patriots game”, in CNN:
- Hans Moleman Production presents: Man getting hit by football.
- The player kicked the football.
- “The coroner and the pathologist described how badly damaged my dad’s brain was,” his daughter Dawn told CNN in 2019. “He found that there was considerable evidence of trauma to the brain which he said was similar to the brain of the boxer. And he said that the main candidate for the trauma was heading the footballs. 2020 February 24, Jack Guy, “UK football authorities ban children from heading footballs in training”, in CNN:
(Africa, Caribbean, New-Zealand, South-Asia, UK, uncountable) Association football, also called soccer: a game in which two teams each contend to get a round ball into the other team's goal primarily by kicking the ball.
- “Our research has shown that heading is rare in youth football matches, so this guidance is a responsible development to our grassroots coaching without impacting the enjoyment that children of all ages take from playing the game.” 2020 February 24, Jack Guy, “UK football authorities ban children from heading footballs in training”, in CNN:
- Each team scored three goals when they played football.
(US, uncountable) American football: a game played on a field 100 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide in which two teams of 11 players attempt to get an ovoid ball to the end of each other's territory.
- According to Newsday, he took the ball to his team’s equipment staff, which then informed head coach Chuck Pagano, who told general manager Ryan Grigson, who told NFL director of football operations Mike Kensil, who told the officials on the field. 2015 January 23, Ralph Ellis, “NFL says it’s looking into why footballs were deflated at Patriots game”, in CNN:
- Each team scored two touchdowns when they played football.
(Canada, uncountable) Canadian football: a game played on a field 110 yards long and 65 yards wide in which two teams of 12 players attempt to get an ovoid ball to the end of each other's territory.
- They played football in the snow.
(Australia, New-South-Wales, South, Southern, Tasmania, Western, qualifier:Victoria; Northern Territory; Victoria; Northern Territory, uncountable) Australian rules football.
- The weekend after AFL football chief Simon Lethlean made it clear players who jumper punched or punched opponents in the stomach would most likely be suspended, Jones was charged with striking Hawthorn’s Luke Breust. 2017 May 29, “Zak Jones fined for off-the-ball hit, escapes MRP suspension”, in Fox Footy, retrieved 25 Jul 2025:
(Ireland, uncountable) Gaelic football: a field game played with similar rules to hurling, but using hands and feet rather than a stick, and a ball, similar to, yet smaller than a soccer ball.
(Australia, New-Zealand, countable, uncountable) Any form of rugby.
- There's another game of football and there's a gold team and Mum and Dad are both on it! 2022, Joe Brumm, “The Decider”, in Bluey, spoken by Chucky:
(Australia, New-South-Wales, New-Zealand, uncountable) Any form of rugby. ▸ rugby league.
(Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, qualifier:other parts of Australia, uncountable) Any form of rugby. ▸ rugby union.
(uncountable) Practice of these particular games, or techniques used in them.
- Both teams played open, attacking football and in the first thirty minutes, the referee barely blew his whistle. 2014 May 10, Novy Kapadia, The Football Fanatic’s Essential Guide Part 1: Origins to 1974, Hachette UK, →ISBN, page 15:
- Sloppy football continued after the first break, as the more composed Brunswick controlled the play by relying on the throw-pass: forty times to Williamstown's twenty-eight. 2024 September 24, Xavier Fowler, Football War: The VFA and VFL's Battle for Supremacy 1930-1949, Melbourne Univ. Publishing, →ISBN:
(countable, figuratively) An item of discussion, particularly in a back-and-forth manner
- That budget item became a political football.
(US, countable, slang) The leather briefcase containing classified nuclear war plans which is always near the US President.
- The aide rides, along with the president's physician, in the “control car,” third in line in the motorcade. He is responsible for the football (or “black box” or “black bag”), a briefcase containing the codes and targeting information the president would require to order or authorize a nuclear attack. 1994, Herbert L. Abrams, The President Has Been Shot: Confusion, Disability, and the 25th Amendment, Stanford University Press, →ISBN, page 126:
- It came in the shape of the White House military office Marine Corps aide who got off the president’s helicopter with him in Davos holding the “football”, the black briefcase carrying the codes for launching the 900 nuclear weapons the US has on alert at all times. It is the constant antidote to any temptation to laugh at Trump’s rants or gaffes. 2026 January 21, Julian Borger, “Trump’s rambling Davos speech rehashes warped ideas of US supremacy”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- After the lunch broke, we walked to the Trump-Putin press conference, which started about 6 p.m. As Kelly observed to me at some point, there were now two military aides in the room, each carrying his country's nuclear football. 2020 June 23, John Bolton, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 155:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
foot-ball		alternative, dated	lexicographic
foot ball		alternative, dated	lexicographic
footballs	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Coordinates

Cheget

Deriveds

Translations (323)

pa ਫ਼ੁਟਬਾਲ (association football) · ckt ӄапԓёчеттыргын (association football) · kl isikkamik arsaanneq (association football) · pl piłka nożna (practice of any of these games) · ru ногомя́ч (association football) · fr soccer (association football) · af sokker (association football) · mt ballun (ball) · uk ко́паний м’яч (association football) · aii ܐܸܣܦܹܝܪ ܪܸܓ݂ܠܵܐ (association football) · hy ֆուտբոլի գնդակ (ball) · sc punta de pei (association football) · yue 足球 (association football) · ps فتبال (association football) · pl futbol australijski (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · ia football (association football) · sh фудбал (association football) · ks فُٹ بال (ball) · nv jooł nabíznítaałí (association football) · mn хөлбөмбөг (association football) · rue фотбал (association football) · gv soccar (association football) · dv ފުޓްބޯލްް (association football) · oj obasikawaadaanaawaa chi-bikwaakwad (association football) · sco fitba (association football) · hi फुटबाल (ball) · de Fußball (association football) · es balompié (association football) · ny mpira (association football) · sw kandanda (association football) · de Fussball (association football) · fr football australien (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · ca fútbal (association football) · cs fotbal (association football) · km បាល់ទាត់ (association football) · de Fussball (ball) · pl piłka nożna (association football) · mt futbol (association football) · nl voetbal (association football) · hu futball (association football) · ur فٹبال (association football) · cs australský fotbal (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · ko 축구 (association football) · fy fuotbal (ball) · ja サッカー (association football) · be футбо́л (association football) · tpi soka (association football) · tt футбол (association football) · kl arsaanneq (association football) · bg футбо́л (association football) · sco fitbaw (ball) · scn padduni (association football) · ajp كورة قدم (association football) · iu ᐊᔪᒃᑕᖅ (association football) · oc fotbòl (association football) · nan-hbl 跤球 (association football) · hu foci (association football) · de Australian Football (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · fr ballon (ball) · hi फुटबाल (association football) · mia aakalaahšima paaskoontia (association football) · nv jooł yitalí (ball) · da australsk fodbold (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · co calciu (association football) · lmo fóball (association football) · ro balon (ball) · ro minge (ball) · fi jalkapallo (association football) · wuu 足球 (association football) · fr ballon de foot (ball) · hu labdarúgás (association football) · hi फ़ुटबाल (association football) · sv fotboll (ball) · nb fotball (practice of any of these games) · es futbol (association football) · ga sacar (association football) · am እግር ኳስ (association football) · la pedilūdium (association football) · tk futbol (association football) · fi rugby league (game in New South Wales, Queensland) · ka ფეხბურთი (association football) · sl nogometna žoga (ball) · es pambol (association football) · fo fótbóltur (ball) · da fodbold (ball) · sa पादकन्दुक (association football) · it calcio (association football) · gv soccer (association football) · arz كورة (ball) · fo fótbóltur (association football) · cy pêl-droed (practice of any of these games) · oc pilòta (ball) · scn palluni (association football) · ja サッカーボール (ball) · hi पैरगेंद (association football) · ast fútbol (association football) · sw mpira wa miguu (association football) · sq futboll (association football) · ks فُٹ بال (association football) · uz futbol (association football) · sk futbalová lopta (ball) · id bola sepak (ball) · hu futball-labda (ball) · pt futebol (association football) · lb Foussball (association football) · it pallone (ball) · arz كورة (association football) · fo avstralskur fótbóltur (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · gl fútbol (association football) · bo རྐང་རྩེད་སྤོ་ལོ (association football) · za cukgiuz (association football) · eo futbalpilko (ball) · kk футбол (association football) · lo ຟຸດບານ (ball) · az futbol (association football) · et jalgpall (practice of any of these games) · lo ເຕະບານ (association football) · hsb kopańca (association football) · et jalka (association football) · pcd fotbale (association football) · hi फ़ुटबॉल (association football) · sk fotbal (association football) · nn fotball (practice of any of these games) · ml ഫുട്ബോൾ (association football) · bar Fuaßboi (association football) · ja フットボール (association football) · sco fitbaw (association football) · he כַּדּוּרֶגֶל (association football) · lv kājbumba (association football) · nv jooł (ball) · cdo 跤球 (association football) · cs kopaná (association football) · ky буттоп (association football) · yo bọ́ọ̀lù (association football) · fy bal (ball) · fi australialainen jalkapallo (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · th ฟุตบอล (association football) · ja ア式蹴球 (association football) · da rugby (game in New South Wales, Queensland) · co ballò (association football) · da fodbold (association football) · ps فوټبال (association football) · ur گیندِ پا (association football) · lmo ballon (association football) · ca pilota (ball) · my ဘောလုံး (association football) · tr futbol topu (ball) · th ฟุตบอล (ball) · is knattspyrna (association football) · gu ફૂટબૉલ (association football) · sl nogomet (association football) · et jalgpall (ball) · et vutt (association football) · et jalgpall (association football) · fi jalkapallo (practice of any of these games) · kn ಫುಟ್ಬಾಲ್ (association football) · kk аяқдоп (ball) · cs (fotbalový m) míč (ball) · arz كورة قدم (association football) · sh nogometna lopta (ball) · fy fuotbalje (practice of any of these games) · pt esférico (ball) · hy ռեգբիլիգ (game in New South Wales, Queensland) · lt futbolas (association football) · co futbol (association football) · fr football (association football) · tpi kikbal (association football) · it palla da calcio (ball) · br mell-droad (association football) · ru футбо́л (association football) · vi bóng đá (association football) · nah neicxitapayolhuiliztli (association football) · sc culatza (association football) · is fótbolti (ball) · es fútbol (association football) · cmn 足球 (association football) · stq Foutbal (association football) · fi jalkapallo (ball) · mh būtbo̧o̧ļ in Aujtōrōlia (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · si පාපන්දුව (association football) · rif tšamma (association football) · hrx Fusball (association football) · nn fotball (association football) · ro joc de fotbal (practice of any of these games) · ms bola sepak (association football) · kxd bula sipak (association football) · es fútbol llanero (association football) · da fodbold (practice of any of these games) · da fodboldspil (practice of any of these games) · shn မၢၵ်ႇၼင် (association football) · sh ногомет (association football) · scn futtibboll (association football) · sc calche (association football) · mk фудбалска топка (ball) · sco fitbaa (association football) · yue 足球 (ball) · nl voetballen (practice of any of these games) · ko 풋볼 (association football) · fy fuotbal (association football) · sv fotboll (association football) · ko 축구공 (ball) · nb fotball (association football) · es balón balompédico/futbolístico/balompedista (ball) · kn ಸಾಕರ್ (association football) · mk фу́дбал (association football) · eo piedpilkado (association football) · ja 蹴球 (association football) · ru австрали́йский футбо́л (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · ja アソシエーション・フットボール (association football) · so kubada cagta (association football) · ur فٹ بال (association football) · el μπάλα ποδοφαίρου (ball) · sw soka (association football) · mk фудбал (ball) · hu focilabda (ball) · ar كُرَة اَلْقَدَم (association football) · hi फुटबॉल (association football) · yue 澳式足球 (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · kmr futbol (association football) · nn fotball (ball) · mk рагби (game in New South Wales, Queensland) · tr tepik (association football) · lmo balla (ball) · lo ຟຸດບານ (association football) · es fulbito (association football) · st bolo (association football) · af voetbal (association football) · sh nogomet (association football) · ga peil (association football) · zu ibhola (association football) · dsb balokopanje (association football) · de Fußball (ball) · cmn 蹴球 (association football) · gd ball-coise (association football) · mk австралиски фудбал (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · ro rugby în XIII (game in New South Wales, Queensland) · sa पादकन्दुकक्रीडा (association football) · acw كورة قدم (association football) · ro fotbal (practice of any of these games) · eo futbalo (association football) · haw pōwāwae (association football) · fi futis (association football) · pa ਫੁਟਬਾਲ (association football) · fur balon (association football) · ru футбо́льный мяч (ball) · ga peil (ball) · co pallò (association football) · ml സോക്കർ (association football) · uk футбо́л (association football) · cy pêl-droed (association football) · sh fudbal (association football) · is fótbolti (association football) · nl voetbal (ball) · sk futbal (association football) · ro minge de fotbal (ball) · bn ফুটবল (association football) · ky футбол (association football) · gu પગદડો (association football) · yo bọ́ọ̀lù-ẹlẹ́sẹ̀ (association football) · ro fotbal (association football) · pt bola de futebol (ball) · fa توپ فوتبال (ball) · sco fitbaw (practice of any of these games) · ca pilota de futbol (ball) · el ποδόσφαιρο (association football) · rom fòtbalo (association football) · lmo ballon (ball) · id sepak bola (association football) · ti ኩዕሶ እግሪ (association football) · fa فوتبال پایگوی (association football) · hy ֆուտբոլ (association football) · ajp كورة (association football) · dsb kopańca (association football) · cy pêl droed (ball) · it pallone da calcio (ball) · yi פֿוסבאָל (association football) · uk со́кер (association football) · sh ногометна лопта (ball) · ug پۇتبول (association football) · hak 足球 (association football) · slc futbal (association football) · ca fútbal (ball) · ro fotbal australian (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · yo bọ́ọ̀lù àfẹsẹ̀gbá (association football) · ta கால்பந்து (association football) · tr ayak topu (association football) · te ఫుట్ బాల్ (association football) · mi poi whana (association football) · ca futbol (association football) · nb fotball (ball) · dtp mimbuul (association football) · co futbolu (association football) · wa fousbale (association football) · ms sepak bola (association football) · pap futbòl (association football) · jje 축구 (association football) · fr foot (association football) · ro rugbi în XIII (game in New South Wales, Queensland) · apc فوتبول (association football) · ak bɔɔlɔ (association football) · wa fotbale (association football) · cmn 澳式足球 (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · kab takurt n uḍar (association football) · mr फुटबॉल (association football) · acw كورة (association football) · rsk фодбал (association football) · din adiircök (association football) · ab ашьапылампыл (association football) · pl futbol (association football) · mh būtbo̧o̧ļ (association football) · wa fotbal (association football) · wal toho kuwaasiya (association football) · hy ավստրալական ֆուտբոլ (game in Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia) · it palla (ball) · fr rugby à XIII (game in New South Wales, Queensland) · haw kinipōpō pōwāwae (ball) · wa fousbal (association football) · tg футбол (association football) · tr futbol (association football) · lv futbols (association football) · km កីឡាបាល់ទាត់ (association football) · ary كورة (association football) · tl putbol (association football)

football en · VERB

Pronunciation

[ˈfɵʔ(t̚)boːl] (British, Southern, Standard)
/ˈfʊʈˌbɔːl/ (South-Asia)
[ˈfʊʔt̚bɔːl] (Received-Pronunciation)
(Australia) audio
/ˈfʊt.bɔl/ without the cot–caught merger
/ˈfʊt.bɔːl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
[ˈfʊʔt̚bɑɫ] (cot-caught-merger)
[ˈfʊʔt̚bɒɫ] (Canada)
/ˈfʊt.bɑl/ (cot-caught-merger)
/ˈfɵt.boːl/ (British, Southern, Standard)
/ˈfʊt.bɒl/ (Canada)
/fʉt.bɔl/ (Northern-Ireland, Scotland)
[ˈfʊʔt̚bɔɫ] without the cot–caught merger
/ˈfʊɖ.bɔːl/ (South-Asia)
[ˈfʊʔtbɔːl] (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈfʊt.boːl/ (Australia, New-Zealand)

Etymology

Meanings

(intransitive, rare) To play football.
- It was an announcement of the outbreak of what is now termed World War I. Some of us lads were footballing when we heard the news. It left us bewildered. 1969, Alec Hugh Chisholm, The Joy of the Earth, page 358:
- You walked up our road, passed the elms that bordered our park until Dutch disease killed them in the early 1970s, diagonally crossed its field where we footballed, turned right at the drinking fountain and cattle trough […] 2019, David Randall, Suburbia: A Far from Ordinary Place:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
footballs	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres		lexicographic
foot ball		alternative, dated	lexicographic
foot-ball		alternative, dated	lexicographic
footballed	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
footballed	Tense=Past		lexicographic
footballing	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic

football en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Coordinates

Deriveds

Descendants

Hyponyms

Relateds

Synonyms

Translations (323)

football en · VERB

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms