AMERICAN FOOTBALL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does American football mean? 

• AMERICAN FOOTBALL (noun)
  The noun AMERICAN FOOTBALL has 1 sense:

1. a game played by two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field 100 yards long; teams try to get possession of the ball and advance it across the opponents goal line in a series of (running or passing) plays

  Familiarity information: AMERICAN FOOTBALL used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• AMERICAN FOOTBALL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A game played by two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field 100 yards long; teams try to get possession of the ball and advance it across the opponents goal line in a series of (running or passing) plays

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

American football; American football game

Hypernyms ("American football" is a kind of...):

football; football game (any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal)

Domain member category:

handoff ((American football) a play in which one player hands the ball to a teammate)

end run; sweep ((American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running around the end of the line)

return ((American football) the act of running back the ball after a kickoff or punt or interception or fumble)

reverse ((American football) a running play in which a back running in one direction hands the ball to a back running in the opposite direction)

rush; rushing ((American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line)

pass; passing; passing game; passing play ((American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate)

power play (a play in which there is a concentration of players in one location on the field of play)

run; running; running game; running play ((American football) a play in which a player attempts to carry the ball through or past the opposing team)

tackle ((American football) grasping an opposing player with the intention of stopping by throwing to the ground)

interference ((American football) blocking a player's path with your body)

trap block ((American football) an illegal block)

back ((American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmage)

lineman ((American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed on the line of scrimmage)

scrimmage ((American football) practice play between a football team's squads)

blitz; linebacker blitzing; safety blitz ((American football) defensive players try to break through the offensive line)

mousetrap; trap play ((American football) a play in which a defensive player is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage and then blocked off as the runner goes through the place the lineman vacated)

draw; draw play ((American football) the quarterback moves back as if to pass and then hands the ball to the fullback who is running toward the line of scrimmage)

fumble; muff ((sports) dropping the ball)

football play ((American football) a play by the offensive team)

completion; pass completion ((American football) a successful forward pass in football)

down ((American football) a complete play to advance the football)

extra point; point after; point after touchdown (in American football a point awarded for a successful place kick following a touchdown)

field goal (a score in American football; a score made by kicking the ball between the opponents' goal posts)

touchdown (a score in American football; being in possession of the ball across the opponents' goal line)

safety (a score in American football; a player is tackled behind his own goal line)

touchback ((American football) a play in which the opposing team has kicked the football into your end zone)

straight-arm ((American football) the act of warding off a tackler by holding the arm fully extended with the hand against the opponent)

reception ((American football) the act of catching a pass in football)

interception ((American football) the act of catching a football by a player on the opposing team)

fair catch ((American football) a catch of a punt on the fly by a defensive player who has signalled that he will not run and so should not be tackled)

centering; snap ((American football) putting the ball in play by passing it (between the legs) to a back)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "American football"):

touch football (a version of American football in which the ball carrier is touched rather than tackled)

 Context examples 

Tests on deceased former professional American football players showed nearly all of them had a chronic traumatic brain disease, according to scientific research published Tuesday in the JAMA medical journal.

(Study: Brain Disease Found in Nearly All Deceased US Football Players, VOA News)

Chain mail, or an American football suit—that's what you'll want.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)