chukker

noun

chuk·​ker ˈchə-kər How to pronounce chukker (audio)
variants or less commonly chukka
plural chukkers also chukkas
: a playing period of a polo game
… the price of a horse that can run, stop and turn, full-out, for the unmitigated seven-and-one-half minutes of a high-goal chukker begins at $15,000.Wendy Insinger
At the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in Wellington, some 15 miles west of Palm Beach, for example, one can watch a few chukkers of polo …Nick Ravo
Both teams started evenly exchanging goals in the first chukka.Daily Trust

Examples of chukker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sometimes at polo matches, the crowd, especially in the VIP areas, can be inattentive, but polo being the hometown sport, the Greenwich fans were enthusiastically engaged as Audi came from behind for the win, 12 to 7 in six chukkers. Alan Behr, chicagotribune.com, 24 Sep. 2019 Throw on your favorite wide-brimmed hat and settle in for a chukker or six. Shawnté Salabert, Los Angeles Magazine, 7 June 2018 Valiente scored three goals in a 110-second span in the first chukker, setting the tone for the match. Y.a. Teitelbaum, Sun-Sentinel.com, 19 Apr. 2018 Under tournament rules, both teams switch horses with the opposing team after two chukkers since neither team was able to bring its own horses. Terry Monahan, Pomerado News, 28 Mar. 2018 In addition to sipping on bubbly, bright young things including Ashley Madekwe, Bella Heathcote, and Camilla Belle took in all the action on the field and at halftime stomped on the divots for the second chukker. Vogue, 16 Oct. 2017 Secure your spot on the sidelines, then get to Googling the Sport of Kings—only two months to figure out what a chukker is and how to calculate a team’s handicap. Marielle Wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, 21 Aug. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Hindi cakkar & Urdu chakkar circular course, from Sanskrit cakra wheel, circle — more at wheel

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chukker was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near chukker

Cite this Entry

“Chukker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chukker. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on chukker

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!