foursome

American  

[fawr-suhm] / ˈfɔr səm /

noun

1. a company or set of four; two couples; a quartet.

   to make up a foursome for bridge.

2. Golf.

   1. a match between two pairs of players, each of whom plays their own ball.

   2. Also called Scotch foursome.  a match between two pairs of players, in which each pair plays one ball and partners stroke alternately.

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adjective

1. consisting of four persons, things, etc.; performed by or requiring four persons.

foursome British  

/ ˈfɔːsəm /

noun

1. a set or company of four

2. sport a game between two pairs of players, esp a form of golf in which each partner in a pair takes alternate strokes at the same ball Compare fourball greensome

3. (modifier) of or performed by a company of four

   a foursome competition

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Etymology

Origin of foursome

First recorded in 1540–50; four + -some ²

Example Sentences

The same foursome clocked 39.70 to break the state record at the Arcadia Invitational one month earlier.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

We allow each member of the foursome to determine whether their ball lies “within the circle of friendship.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

And there is at least one alleged “comrade” of the foursome, according to court documents, who appears to have been working with the group from well outside Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025

The starting pitching foursome of Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow had turned just about everybody else on the staff into glorified lawn ornaments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025

Back when Moushumi and Graham were together they’d made a foursome with Donald and Astrid, renting cottages together in Vermont, time-shares in the Hamptons.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• club
• company
• lineup
• organization
• party
• side
• squad
• unit