hat-trick
Hat-trick (noun) means Three goals scored by the same player in a single match, especially in football or hockey. Example: “She scored a hat-trick inside twenty minutes.”
How to use hat-trick
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThree goals, wins or successes in a row by the same person.
Written hat-trick in British English and often hat trick in American English. In football a perfect hat-trick means one with the left foot, the right foot and the head.
Two goals is a brace, three is a hat-trick; there is no established single word for four.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She scored a _____ inside twenty minutes.
Etymology
From nineteenth-century cricket, where a bowler who dismissed three batsmen with successive balls was traditionally presented with a hat.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a hat-trick and a treble?
In scoring they are interchangeable for three goals. In club football, though, the Treble specifically means a team winning three major trophies in one season, so a hat-trick belongs to a player and a treble usually to a side.
Do the three goals have to be consecutive?
In modern football, no — any three goals by the same player in one match count, even with opposition goals in between. In cricket the definition is strict: the three wickets must come from three consecutive deliveries by that bowler.
What is the meaning of hat-trick?
"hat-trick" (noun) means three goals scored by the same player in a single match, especially in football or hockey.
What is another word for hat-trick?
Other words for "hat-trick" include treble, three-goal haul, triple, threepeat.