goalkeeper

[gohl-kee-per]

noun

1. (in ice hockey, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, etc.) a player whose chief duty is to prevent the ball or puck from crossing or entering the goal.

goalkeeper

/ ˈɡəʊlˌkiːpə /

noun

1. sport a player in the goal whose duty is to prevent the ball, puck, etc, from entering or crossing it

Other Word Forms

• goalkeeping noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of goalkeeper¹

First recorded in 1650–60; goal + keeper

Example Sentences

Part of the agreement will see Nike provide football boots and goalkeeper gloves to all players in the WSL and WSL 2 who do not have an endorsement deal.

From BBC

None of that happens, goalkeeper Briana Scurry said, if the Americans don’t win that World Cup final before the largest crowd to watch a women’s game in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

Manchester City's late dip into the transfer market for a new goalkeeper on deadline day underlines the fact these are worrying times for manager Pep Guardiola and his team.

From BBC

"The fact no goalkeeper has ever won more Premier League titles says everything you need to know about his quality and consistency in a City shirt," said City's director of football Hugo Viana.

From BBC

But Martinez has the personality to deal with that at a time when even head coach Ruben Amorim says: "It is hard to be a Manchester United goalkeeper in this moment."

From BBC

When To Use

What does goalkeeper mean?

In sports like soccer (football) and hockey, the goalkeeper is the player positioned in front of the goal whose job is to prevent the ball or puck from entering it (or crossing the goal line).Goalkeeper can be used to refer to the position or the player. A goalkeeper might say they play goalkeeper. A common informal word for goalkeeper is goalie. In some sports, a goalkeeper is called a goaltender. In soccer, the goalkeeper is sometimes called the keeper.Example: When I played soccer, I was the goalkeeper, and I was pretty good, especially because I was quick and had long arms for my age.