water polo

American  

noun

1. an aquatic game played by two teams of seven swimmers each, the object being to score goals by pushing, carrying, or passing an inflated ball and tossing it into the opponent's goal, defended by a goalkeeper.

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water polo British  

noun

1. a game played in water by two teams of seven swimmers in which each side tries to throw or propel an inflated ball into the opponents' goal

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Etymology

Origin of water polo

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Sophia Panossian, a water polo player at the University of Michigan, urged viewers to help her “get ready with me” by checking Kalshi’s weather odds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Romain says in the lawsuit that he left Harvard-Westlake at the end of that school year and moved to Barcelona to escape and continue to pursue his water polo training.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

His support for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Games went beyond the water polo teams.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

Dane spent his high school years as a competitive swimmer and water polo player.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

“I rang the British Council in Enugu and I can’t believe our people there are still going off to play water polo and have cocktails at the Hotel Presidential! There’s a bloody war going on.”

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie