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.
A love of football connects William to the country he will one day reign over in a way polo would not.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
He wore designer suits while serving the centrists Blair and Brown before swapping them for jeans, sneakers and polo shirts as the socialist mayor of Manchester.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
In addition, items such as white polo shirts were rarely donated and she needed funding to be able to buy them.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Last month they were also present at Prince William's charity fundraising polo matches and in the Royal Box at Wimbledon.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
A young Congolese man wearing a striped polo shirt and sporting a cool haircut pushed his way through the crowd to the van.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
Those modernization efforts have claimed other historic institutions, including the Jaipur Polo Ground, which the government took over last month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
With spinning, weaving, dyeing and knitting facilities -- the Glo-Djigbe site exported its first garments in 2024 for the French retailer Kiabi, followed by other international brands such as US Polo.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Dame Jilly, who was known for her "bonkbuster" novels, including Riders, Rivals and Polo, died on 5 October last year after she suffered a head injury in a fall at her home in Bisley, Gloucestershire.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
The "last straw" occurred when Littlewood travelled to Brandenburg, Germany, to compete in the European Canoe Polo Championships in September 2023.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
Up in Fat Man’s Bar on the hill overlooking the Polo Grounds, I had just gone into a telephone booth.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
