goaltender
Americannoun
Usage
What does goaltender mean? In sports like hockey, goaltender is another name for the goalkeeper, the player positioned in front of the goal whose job is to prevent the ball or puck from entering it (or crossing the goal line). Goaltender can be used to refer to the position or the player. A goaltender might say they play goaltender. A common informal word for goaltender is goalie. The word goaltender is commonly used in ice hockey and lacrosse. In soccer (football), this position is usually called goalkeeper, goalie, or keeper. The word goaltending can refer to acting as a goaltender, but it is also used in a more specific way in basketball (which does not have a goaltender or goalkeeper position). In basketball, goaltending refers to a rules violation in which a player interferes with a shot by touching the ball on its downward flight to the basket or while it is over, on, or within the rim of the basket. Example: When I played hockey, I was the goaltender, and I was pretty good, especially because I was quick.
Etymology
Origin of goaltender
Vocabulary lists containing goaltender
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.
Not long after, he attacked a terrible pass back to Iraq’s goaltender and barreled home a second score.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Andersen was even better against Philadelphia, cementing himself as the hottest playoff goaltender in hockey with more than 11 goals saved above expected, according to analysis from MoneyPuck.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
The Colorado Avalanche rode swagger, poise and the league’s stingiest goaltender to the best record in the NHL this season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
Journeyman goaltender Anton Forsberg, who spent most of his first season in Los Angeles backing up Darcy Kuemper, won five straight starts in April to key the Kings’ fast finish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
This was a team that did not depend on its goaltender.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
