footballer
n.-
1 soccer player (n.) A2 Elementary British English Sporta person who plays association football (soccer).
a person who plays association football, typically used in British English to refer to professional players.
ExampleThe young footballer signed a contract with a famous team in London.
ExampleThe retired footballer now works as a television pundit, providing expert analysis on Premier League matches every weekend.
UsageIn British English, this almost exclusively refers to association football (soccer) players.
- soccer player
- player
-
2 American football player (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate American English Formal Sporta person who plays American football.
a person who plays American football; this term is less common in the United States than 'football player'.
ExampleThe college footballer hoped to be drafted into the professional league.
ExampleEarly twentieth-century journalists often referred to the gridiron athletes as footballers before the term 'football player' became the standard American idiom.
Teacher's tipIn the US, people almost always say 'football player' rather than 'footballer'.
- football player
From football + -er. For the kyphosid sense, named for the resemblance of their stripes to football uniforms.