touchdown

American  

[tuhch-doun] / ˈtʌtʃˌdaʊn /

noun

1. Football. an act or instance of scoring six points by being in possession of the ball on or behind the opponent's goal line.

2. Rugby. the act of a player who touches the ball on or to the ground inside his own in-goal.

3. the act or the moment of landing.

   the aircraft's touchdown.

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touchdown British  

/ ˈtʌtʃˌdaʊn /

noun

1. the moment at which a landing aircraft or spacecraft comes into contact with the landing surface

2. rugby the act of placing or touching the ball on the ground behind the goal line, as in scoring a try

3.  TD.  American football a scoring play worth six points, achieved by being in possession of the ball in the opposing team's end zone See also field goal

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verb

1. (of a space vehicle, aircraft, etc) to land

2. rugby to place the ball behind the goal line, as when scoring a try

3. informal to pause during a busy schedule in order to catch up, reorganize, or rest

Etymology

Origin of touchdown

First recorded in 1860–65; touch + down ¹

Example Sentences

Hill -- whose blistering speed earned him the nickname "Cheetah" -- scored 27 touchdowns in 54 games for Miami and amassed 340 receptions for 4,733 yards.

From Barron's

Over the last two seasons, Kingston has also returned three punts for touchdowns.

From Los Angeles Times

Bad Bunny scored a touchdown before either team did during Super Bowl LX on Sunday, marching down the field during his halftime show before spiking a football at the end zone.

From Los Angeles Times

He left after massive career highs of 14 wins, over 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns, but still with question marks after a play-off capitulation against the Rams.

From BBC

The infinite variables in sports can quickly make many of the bets they are holding nearly worthless, whether it is because a player is severely injured or a team botches a crucial touchdown.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• goal
• score
• six points