Sekirov Dictionary

football

UK /ˈfʊt.bɔːl/US /ˈfʊt.bɒl/

noun 13
verb 1
forms 3
phrases 1

noun13

•
a game in which teams score by kicking or carrying a ball into a goal or area the other team defends
- Roman and medieval football matches were more violent than any modern type of football.
•
(UK, New-Zealand) 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.
- Each team scored three goals when they played football.
•
(US) 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.
- Each team scored two touchdowns when they played football.
•
(Canada) 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) Australian rules football.
(Ireland) 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) 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
(Australia, New-Zealand) rugby league.
(Australia, Ireland) rugby union.
•
The ball used in any game called "football".
- The player kicked the football.
- Hans Moleman Production presents: Man getting hit by football.
•
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
•
(figurative) An item of discussion, particularly in a back-and-forth manner
- That budget item became a political football.
(US, slang) The leather briefcase containing classified nuclear war plans which is always near the US President.

verb1

•
(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

forms

footballed · footballing · footballs

Phrases with football

political football
A contentious political issue or problem that is often debated or discussed, but that remains unresolved; an issue or problem which is avoided by authorities and handed off to others.

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