halfback

[ haf-bak, hahf- ]

/ ˈhæfˌbæk, ˈhɑf- /

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noun

Football.

one of two backs who typically line up on each side of the fullback.
the position played by such a back.

(in soccer, Rugby, field hockey, etc.) a player stationed near the forward line to carry out chiefly offensive duties.

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Origin of halfback

First recorded in 1880–85; half + back¹

Words nearby halfback

half-and-half, half-arsed, half-asleep, half-assed, half-awake, halfback, half-baked, half-ball, half bath, halfbeak, half binding

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use halfback in a sentence

Lois Roberts, who played in her bare feet and could punt the ball fifty yards, and Shirley Payne, a quick and slithery halfback and two-way player, were the stars of the game for the Amazons.
These ‘experts’ once said women couldn’t play football. Boy were they wrong.|Britni de la Cretaz and Lyndsey D’Arcangelo|November 15, 2021|Popular-Science
As a college halfback and a professional he achieved great fame.
Good Riddance, O.J.|Stanley Crouch|December 6, 2008|DAILY BEAST
Sara was halfback on the freshman football team, while Jim played quarterback.
Still Jim|Honor Willsie Morrow
Buck knew the play now; it was Barrett, right halfback, between tackle and guard.
The Boy Scouts of Lakeville High|Leslie W. Quirk

The reinstated halfback went away with his eyes shining and his heart elate.
Bert Wilson on the Gridiron|J. W. Duffield
Lane, the Fifth Form halfback, tried to go round the end on the next play, but made no gain.
The Jester of St. Timothy's|Arthur Stanwood Pier
He was muscular, well-built, and fast on his feet, almost perfectly put together for a halfback.
The Sheriff's Son|William MacLeod Raine

British Dictionary definitions for halfback

halfback

/ (ˈhɑːfˌbæk) /

noun

rugby either the scrum half or the stand-off half

soccer old-fashioned any of three players positioned behind the line of forwards and in front of the fullbacks

any of certain similar players in other team sports

the position of a player who is halfback

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

halfback

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Origin of halfback

Words nearby halfback

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How to use halfback in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for halfback