water polo
B2Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A team sport played in a swimming pool, where players attempt to throw a ball into the opposing team's goal.
The specific rules, culture, and community associated with this aquatic sport; also refers to the ball used in the game.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A compound noun treated as singular when referring to the sport itself (e.g., 'Water polo is demanding'), but can be pluralized when referring to games or matches (e.g., 'We watched three water polos'). It is a hyponym of 'team sport' and 'aquatic sport'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Minor potential differences in referring to the pool dimensions or specific league names (e.g., NCAA in the US).
Connotations
Similar connotations of a physically demanding, tactical sport. In the UK, it may be more strongly associated with public school and university sports. In the US, it is a prominent NCAA and high school sport, particularly in California.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both dialects within sporting contexts. It is a niche sport term outside of athletic communities.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] plays water polo[Subject] is a water polo [player/coach/referee]The [team/country] won the water polo [match/championship]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Like water polo without water (used humorously to describe something fundamentally lacking its core component)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in contexts of sports marketing, equipment manufacturing, or event management.
Academic
Used in sports science, kinesiology, and historical studies of Olympic sports.
Everyday
Used when discussing hobbies, sports news, the Olympics, or school activities.
Technical
Used with precise terminology in coaching, refereeing, and sports journalism (e.g., 'exclusion foul', 'eggbeater kick', 'man-up situation').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He water-poloed at university.
- They are water-poloing this weekend.
American English
- She water-poloed throughout high school.
- He's been water-poloing for years.
adjective
British English
- She is a water-polo enthusiast.
- The water-polo championship is in Manchester.
American English
- He has a water-polo scholarship.
- The water-polo finals are this weekend.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I like to watch water polo.
- They play water polo in the pool.
- Water polo is a difficult sport because you cannot touch the bottom.
- My brother is on the school water polo team.
- The intensity of a water polo match requires exceptional stamina and swimming skill.
- After years of training, she earned a place on the national water polo squad.
- The team's defensive strategy in water polo, employing a pressing zone, effectively neutralized the opponent's offensive drives.
- His doctoral research analyzes the kinematic differences between the eggbeater kick used in water polo and standard treading water.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine POLO players on horseback, but instead of horses, they are in WATER. Water + Polo = Water Polo.
Conceptual Metaphor
WAR IN WATER (e.g., 'a fierce battle in the pool', 'defensive tactics', 'scoring a goal').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid calquing as '*water football' (водное футбол). The Russian term is 'водное поло' (vodnoye polo).
- Do not confuse with 'polo' the equestrian sport, which is 'поло' (polo) in Russian.
Common Mistakes
- Using a plural verb for the sport as a concept (e.g., 'Water polo are fun' is incorrect; 'Water polo is fun' is correct).
- Misspelling as 'waterpolo' (should be two words or hyphenated: 'water-polo').
Practice
Quiz
What is a key physical requirement for playing water polo?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, water polo has been part of the Summer Olympics since 1900 for men and since 2000 for women.
No, players (except the goalkeeper in their defensive area) are not allowed to touch the bottom or sides of the pool during active play.
A team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper in the water at a time, with additional substitute players on the bench.
Caps contain ear protectors and are numbered for identification. They are also color-coded (typically blue or white) to distinguish between teams, with the goalkeeper wearing a red cap.