water polo

American

noun

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.

water polo British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of water polo

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 2024, Flav signed a five-year deal as the official hype man for the U.S. men’s and women’s water polo teams that included an undisclosed financial contribution to the women’s team.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Salon

The aspiring actor, who moved to Hollywood six months ago, was a lifeguard growing up and played water polo competitively.

From Los Angeles Times

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

There is a new dynasty in City Section girls water polo and it may continue for years to come.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023