Hockey Definition: Idioms, Synonyms, Exercises

Read these instances to see the description of “hockey” in sentences, and to understand how the word is used in real life.

The term “hockey” in English has some variations you can use to make your writing richer.

Related nouns: team game puck stick goal

Synonyms (contextual): field game team sport on ice

Common collocations: a hockey arena a hockey match professional hockey

Apart from learning the meaning of “hockey,” get familiar with the other word combinations it is used in.

With adjectives: amateur hockey international hockey national hockey

With verbs: to play hockey to watch hockey to win hockey games to lose hockey games

With nouns (noun + noun): a hockey player a hockey team hockey equipment

What does “hockey” mean in idioms? Well, its connotations go far beyond games and sports, touching on business and fashion.

• Hockey stick growth is used to describe a case when a company starts earning a lot of money after a period of slow growth.

  This company experienced hockey stick growth. It earned two billion dollars last year.

• Hockey hair is a hairstyle that is short on the front and sides but long on the back.

  I want hockey hair. It looks so cool, and I can grow my hair and be sure that I won’t dip my hair in my soup.

Let’s check whether you can define “hockey,” understand the meaning of the collocations with it, and complete sentences with this word.

You know how to say “hockey” in Spanish, French, and German, as it remains the same. Press the pronunciation button to spot some small differences.

In what unexpected areas did hockey earn its popularity? How many people can play it at the same time? What lessons can you learn from popular hockey players? Find the answers immediately:

• The theme of hockey is popular in love novels.

  Lately, not only hockey but also all team sports have become a basis for book plots. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace and multiple stories from Elle Kennedy won the hearts of readers worldwide.

• 433 people played hockey at the same time.

  Such a big team was collected in February 2016. The event was noticed by the Guinness World Records. It happened in Ottawa, Canada. The game lasted more than seven hours.

• You can negotiate your salary based on the story of a hockey player.

  The case of Derek Sanderson, a former hockey player, negotiating his salary was turned into a lesson by Harvard University. The main idea is that you need to be confident.

• Ice hockey is one of the many variations of the game.

  Many people imagine ice hockey when they hear about this sport. However, there are many types, including field hockey, roller hockey, air hockey, and street hockey.

• The origin of beach volleyball is a leisure activity that started on the Californian beaches.

  During the 1920s, volleyball was transformed into a casual beach sport by beachgoers in Santa Monica who constructed improvised volleyball courts on the sand. The recreational sport later evolved into a professional sport and world competitions and Olympics.

Even though hockey is a sport where players can be fierce, there are many lines where the word is used to discuss emotions and feelings, as well as strategies and ambitions.

— Karch Kiraly

Explanation: Kiraly celebrates teamwork as the heart of the game. Every serve, dig, and set connects people — showing that shared effort always outweighs individual glory.

— Maureen Johnson, “The Name of the Star”

Explanation: In her story, the author tells about the love of English people for hockey and says that nothing — not even bad weather and any other hardships — will stand in the way of hockey fans.

— Wayne Gretzky

Explanation: As a professional hockey player, Wayne Gretzky shares the tips that helped him to become a top team member. Instead of following the puck, he tried to be faster and predict where it would go next.

— Frederik Bakman, “Beartown”

Explanation: In love, it happens very often that people want to be closer to those they like and become interested in things they like because they care about them.