a game played on horseback between two teams, each of four players, the object being to score points by driving a wooden ball into the opponents' goal using a long-handled mallet.
any game broadly resembling this, especially water polo.
a game similar to hockey played on horseback using long-handled mallets ( polo sticks ) and a wooden ball
any of several similar games, such as one played on bicycles
short for water polo
Also called: polo neck.
a collar on a garment, worn rolled over to fit closely round the neck
a garment, esp a sweater, with such a collar
1835–45; < Balti (Tibetan language of Kashmir): ball
Polo is a game in which players on horseback use long mallets to hit rolling balls. Polo is basically field hockey with horses. Modern polo was developed by British military officers in colonial India during the 19th century, inspired by an ancient South Asian sport. Its nickname, "the sport of kings," reflects polo's reputation as a pastime for the wealthy. To play polo, you need a horse — also known as a polo pony — and to belong to a club where the game can be practiced and played competitively. The name polo comes from the Tibetan pulu, "ball."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Beth Littlewood, a former canoe polo champion, spent years pursuing a string of grievances against Nuffield Health, the company she worked for as a personal trainer at its Bridgend gym.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
An impeccable, crisp-collared rugby shirt—over a polo shirt.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Eugene Levert, chain-smoking next to a stack of books while wearing a vertical blue-striped button-down and khaki slacks, looked the scholarly mirror of Doug Lamplugh, in a horizontal blue-striped polo and khaki shorts.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
His past trips have included playing polo in Florida, chatting to presidents as far back as Richard Nixon and meeting American A-list celebrities.
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026
I look down and see that I'm wearing jeans, a green polo shirt, and gray sneakers.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
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.
