hockey
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /hˈɒki/
US
- /ˈhɑki/
Description
- team sport
- played with sticks
- puck or ball game
- ice or field version
Hockey is a fast team sport in which players use sticks to move a puck or a ball and try to score in the other team's goal. Many people first think of ice hockey, played on an ice rink with skates and a puck, but field hockey is also very common and is played on grass or turf with a ball. In both versions, the game is built around speed, teamwork, passing, and quick reactions.
You might hear about famous events like the Stanley Cup in ice hockey, or see players working together to attack, defend, and protect their goal. The details change from one version to another, but the main idea stays the same: two teams, sticks, a goal at each end, and a lot of fast action.
Hockey is a team sport in which players use sticks to control a puck or a ball and try to score goals. The word most often refers to ice hockey, where players skate on ice and hit a puck into the other team's net. It can also refer to field hockey, which is played on grass or artificial turf with a ball. In both forms, the game is quick, competitive, and built on teamwork, skill, and good positioning.
In ice hockey, two teams of skaters play on a rink, usually in three periods, and the team with the most goals wins. The sport is known for its speed, hard shots, close passing, and physical contact. Words like "check," "power play," "slap shot," and "hat trick" often come up when people talk about it. Ice hockey has deep roots in Canada and remains especially popular in North America and parts of Europe.
Field hockey follows the same basic idea of moving the ball toward the other team's goal, but the equipment, surface, and some rules are different. It is widely played in many parts of the world and is especially well known in schools, clubs, and international competition. So when someone says "hockey," they may mean the ice game or the field game, but in either case they are talking about a fast stick-and-ball or stick-and-puck sport focused on scoring goals.
Examples
- 1
Youth sport
My brother started playing hockey when he was seven.
- 2
Live game
We’re going to a hockey game on Friday night.
- 3
School team
She made the school hockey team this year.
- 4
Local culture
Hockey is huge in that town, so the rink is always busy in winter.
- 5
Field hockey
At her school, hockey usually means field hockey, not ice hockey.
Phrase
field hockey
a version of hockey played on grass or artificial turf
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- hockeynoun