any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal
"The students are excited for the spring tournament where every team will play football on the muddy field."
the inflated oblong ball used in playing American football
"He tried to tie a knot around his finger, but he accidentally got tangled up in the laces of the football."
A sport played on foot in which teams attempt to get a ball into a goal or zone defended by the other team.
"After hours of practice, the team finally scored their first goal during the football match."
In plain English: Football is a popular team sport where players kick an oval ball to score points by getting it into the opponent's goal.
"The local team won the football match last night."
Usage: In American English, "football" refers specifically to the gridiron sport played with an oval ball, while in British English and most other countries, it describes soccer. Always clarify your intended sport when communicating across these different regional conventions to avoid confusion.
To play football.
"The kids spent their entire afternoon playing football in the park until sunset."
In plain English: To kick a ball toward the goal during a game of football.
"The coach told the players to football the ball downfield during the drill."
Usage: Use "to football" only when describing a specific instance of playing the sport in a casual or humorous tone, such as telling friends you will go football later tonight. Avoid using it as a general term for the game itself, since standard English prefers the noun form "football" for the activity.
The word football comes from Middle English, combining "foot" and "ball" to describe a game where players primarily used their feet to manipulate the ball. The term for the briefcase is a separate play on words based on "dropkick," an early code name for a nuclear war plan.