noun
polo
POH-loh
noun
1
A team sport played on horseback, in which riders use long mallets to hit a ball into the opposing goal.
"The prince has played polo since he was a boy."
"Wealthy spectators sipped champagne along the edge of the polo field."
2
A short-sleeved, collared knit shirt, typically with a few buttons at the neck.
"He wore a navy polo tucked into chino shorts."
How to Use Polo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the horseback ball sport played by the wealthy and by royals, or the casual collared shirt named after it.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
play polo
a polo shirt
a game of polo
Word Forms
polos plural, polos plural, Polos plural
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Etymology
From a Balti word meaning "ball," reaching English via the game's spread from Central Asia through British colonial India.