football

American football

noun FOOT-bol Rare

Origin: Borrowed from English 'football'.

Usage Note

Football in Italy specifically refers to American football — Italians use calcio for what the rest of the world calls 'football' or 'soccer'. The word is invariable (no Italian plural ending added) and always masculine: il football americano. It gained popularity in Italy from the 1980s, partly through the Super Bowl broadcasts.

Examples

"Mio fratello guarda il football americano ogni domenica."

Natural Translation

My brother watches American football every Sunday.

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