Word
soccer
Phoneticssoc·cer
US/ˈsɑkɝ/
UK/sˈɒkɐ/
Definitions
01the sport
n. a game played by two teams who try to kick a ball into a goal without using their hands.
n. a form of football played with a round ball, where players (except goalkeepers) are prohibited from using their hands or arms.
“The kids are playing soccer in the park after school today.”
“The university's soccer team secured a place in the national finals after a series of impressive victories against their regional rivals.”
American English
Usage
Uncountable noun; usually takes no article.
Pitfall
I like to play the soccer.
I like to play soccer.
Do not use 'the' before the names of sports.
Teaching tip
In the UK and most of the world, this sport is called 'football'. In the US, Canada, and Australia, 'football' usually refers to other sports, so 'soccer' is used to avoid confusion.
Synonyms
02to kick the ball
v. to kick a ball directly off the ground.
v. to kick a ball along the ground without picking it up or using the hands.
“The player managed to soccer the ball away from the goal.”
“In a desperate defensive move, the fullback soccered the ball toward the sideline to prevent a corner kick.”
Technical
Usage
Transitive verb.
Teaching tip
This is a very rare technical term in sports; learners should almost always use 'kick' instead.
Confusables
Football refers to the world's most popular sport in British English, while soccer is the standard term for that same sport in American English.
RememberSoccer is American; Football is British (unless you're in the US).
Etymology
Originally British English; as an abbreviation for association football, via abbreviation assoc. + -er (suffix); earlier socker (1885), also socca (1889), with soccer attested 1888. Compare contemporary rugger, from rugby. Similarly constructed coinages from the same period include: brekker (“breakfast”), fresher (“freshman”) and footer (“football”). See Oxford -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/soccer