hockey
/ˈhɑ.ki/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.42 in modern English
18
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any of a family of sports in which hockey sticks are used to move a ball or puck into a goal.
Uncountable
noun
Field hockey, a team sport played on a pitch on solid ground where players have to hit a ball into a net using a hockey stick.
Uncountable
noun
Ice hockey, a game on ice in which two teams of six players skate and try to score by shooting a puck into the opposing team's net, using their sticks.
Canadian usage; American usage; Uncountable
noun
Alternative form of hawkey (“harvest supper”).
name
A surname.
Example Sentences
- "He helped his team beat the opponent at hockey 11-9 in a high-scoring match."
- "US stadiums are packed in the winter to see ice hockey."
- "Canada’s men’s hockey team defeated the USA 3-2 in overtime Thursday to capture the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off Championship as the NHL put on a show in the first edition of this midseason international tournament."
- "“I thought she'd just gone to pee but I reckon she must be making hockey too.”"
- "My anger surged back a pace. “Harry Boone is a lickspittle, butt kissing, hunk of horse hockey,” I said precisely."
- "As has been mentioned, Darts of to-day is essentially a "public-house game," and in pretty nearly every inn, club, or institute where it has a footing (and in which has it not!) will be found minor variations in play and often games that are peculiar to the locality or even to the "school" itself. […] And in this domestic circle, at all events, it is thought that this set of Rules will prove a useful guide when taken in conjunction with what has already been said as regards the board, its position, the hockey-line, etc."
Etymology
16th century, of unknown origin. Possibly related to hook due to the curvature of the stick, akin to hock (“hook”) + -ey, or from Middle French hoquet (“shepherd's staff, crook”), which resembles a hockey stick, via a diminutive form of Old French hoc from Middle Dutch hoec (“hook”), a cognate of Old English hōc.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɑ.ki/
- British English: /ˈhɒ.ki/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Sports.