Definition

Noun: 1. A team sport played on grass or artificial turf: A game in which two teams of eleven players each use curved sticks to hit a small, hard ball into the opposing team's goal. 2. The specific game distinguished from ice hockey: A hockey variant played on a field, as opposed to on ice.

Usage

• As the name of the sport: The term "field hockey" is used to specify the outdoor, grass/turf version of hockey.
  • She has played field hockey since she was ten years old.
  • The school's field hockey team won the championship.
• To distinguish it from other forms: It is commonly used to avoid confusion with ice hockey or other hockey variants.
  • In many countries, field hockey is more popular than ice hockey.

Advanced Usage

• In a sporting context: The term can be used metonymically to refer to the culture, equipment, or community associated with the sport.
  • The university invested heavily in field hockey, building a new stadium. (Here, it implies the sport's program and facilities.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hockey (noun): The broader category of stick-and-ball games including field hockey, ice hockey, and roller hockey. Note: In some regions like the United States and Canada, "hockey" alone typically refers to ice hockey.
• Ice hockey (noun): The hockey variant played on an ice rink with a puck instead of a ball.

Synonyms

• Hockey (in contexts where field hockey is the default or dominant form, such as in India, Pakistan, Australia, and parts of Europe).

Related Phrases

• Field hockey stick: The J-shaped stick used to play the game.
• Field hockey ball: The hard, often dimpled, ball used in play.
• Field hockey pitch: The rectangular field of play.

Noun

1. a game resembling ice hockey that is played on an open field; two opposing teams use curved sticks try to drive a ball into the opponents' net