full-back

/ˈfʊl bæk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfʊl bæk/ (ame, ipa)

full-back — noun

1. in team sports such as soccer, rugby, and field hockey, a player whose main job

1.名詞B2
釋義

in team sports such as soccer, rugby, and field hockey, a player whose main job is to stop the other team from scoring by guarding the area in front of their own goal; in soccer there are two such players, one stationed wide on each flank of the back line.

例句

Anong started the match as the left full-back for the school team.

left / right full-back as a position label

The coach asked Christopher to mark the winger and play as a defensive full-back.

play as + full-back (role)

同義詞
  • defender

    broader term — any defending player, not only the wide positions

  • back

    general term for any back-line player, less specific

反義詞
  • forward

    an attacking player at the front of the team

  • striker

    the main goal-scorer at the front of the attack

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 2: in soccer / rugby / hockey, the full-back is a DEFENDER; in American football, the full-back is an OFFENSIVE player (sense 2). Same word, opposite side of the ball.

常見錯誤

❌The full-back scored a goal from the centre circle.
✅The striker scored a goal from the centre circle.
💡in soccer the full-back is a defender; scoring from open play is uncommon and is usually done by attackers.

2. in American football, an offensive player in the backfield, lining up between th

2.名詞C1
釋義

in American football, an offensive player in the backfield, lining up between the quarterback and the halfbacks; the full-back's job is mostly to clear a path for other runners and to gain short yardage on power runs.

例句

Ilan lined up as the full-back and blocked the linebacker for the running back.

lined up as + full-back (formation position)

On third and one, the coach handed the ball to the full-back for a short run.

short-yardage role of the full-back

同義詞
  • blocking back

    describes the same role from a function angle

  • running back

    broader category that includes full-backs and half-backs

反義詞
  • wide receiver

    offensive player who lines up wide and catches passes — different body type and role

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this is the AMERICAN-FOOTBALL full-back, who is an attacking blocker — opposite role from the soccer / rugby / hockey full-back. The variety tag is American because the position is specific to that code of football.

常見錯誤

❌The full-back caught the long pass for a touchdown.
✅The wide receiver caught the long pass for a touchdown.
💡the American-football full-back blocks and runs for short gains; long catches are normally a receiver's job.

3. the role or spot on the field that a full-back plays in, used when talking about

3.名詞C1
釋義

the role or spot on the field that a full-back plays in, used when talking about the position itself rather than the person; in soccer this is wide and deep in defence, in American football this is in the offensive backfield.

例句

Arjun played full-back for three seasons before moving to centre-half.

play + full-back (no article) — position name

Eshe prefers to play at full-back because she enjoys defending.

at + full-back (positional preposition)

同義詞
反義詞
  • forward position

    the attacking spot at the front of the team — opposite end of the field

文法句型

play + full-back (no article)

at full-back

用法筆記

Only sense that takes NO article in the bare collocations 'play full-back' and 'at full-back'. Distinguish from senses 1 and 2: those refer to the PERSON (a countable noun, usually with 'a' or 'the'); this sense refers to the ROLE / SPOT on the field. The variety / sport is recovered from context, not from the word itself.

常見錯誤

❌She plays a full-back on weekends.
✅She plays full-back on weekends.
💡when naming the position itself, drop the article; 'a full-back' would refer to the player as a thing.