Subbuteo

British

/ səˈbjuːtɪəʊ /

noun

a football game played on a table, with toy players affixed to rounded bases which are flicked with the fingers

"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

Etymology

Origin of Subbuteo

C20: arbitrarily named, from Latin subbuteo, the specific name of the hobby hawk Falco subbuteo

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.

See Examples For:

Subbuteo

As well as his family, Bryn entertained Gavin's mates with mini burgers and Subbuteo before he reluctantly joined them on a big night out in Cardiff.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

She's followed her dad into table football as he was north Wales Subbuteo champion for about three years in his youth.

From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2021

While a damaged metatarsal, groin strain or pulled hamstring will put a professional footballer out of action, the Achilles heel for Subbuteo players is a sore back or an injured finger.

From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2021

Before matches, Subbuteo enthusiasts give each of their players' bases a quick rub and polish to help them slide better across the pitch.

From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2021

Me and Dad played Subbuteo the entire week.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023