Word: Kicker
Part of Speech: Noun
Basic Definition: A "kicker" is a player in football (or soccer) whose main job is to kick the ball, especially for scoring points or making passes.
Usage Instructions:
The word "kicker" is commonly used in sports contexts, especially in American football and soccer.
You can use it to refer to a specific position in a team or to describe someone’s action when they kick the ball.
Example Sentence:
Advanced Usage:
In American football, a kicker is often responsible for kicking field goals and extra points after touchdowns. They are crucial for scoring points.
In soccer, the term can also refer to a player who takes free kicks or penalty kicks.
Word Variants:
Different Meanings:
In Sports: As mentioned, it refers to a player who kicks the ball.
Slang Usage: In informal language, "kicker" can mean an unexpected twist or surprise in a story or situation. For example, "The kicker was that she had been planning the surprise party all along."
Synonyms:
For the sports context: kicker, foot specialist, punter (in American football, a punter is also a player who kicks the ball but usually focuses on punting rather than field goals).
For the slang context: twist, surprise, catch.
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:
"The kicker" (idiom): This phrase is often used to introduce the surprising or most interesting part of a story. For example, "She said she didn’t want to go, but the kicker is that she had already bought tickets!"
"Kick off" (phrasal verb): This means to start an event, especially a game. For example, "The game will kick off at 7 PM."
Summary:
The word "kicker" primarily refers to a football player who kicks the ball, but it can also have other meanings in different contexts.