Touchdown

/ˈtʌtʃdaʊn/ noun

Definition

In American football, a scoring play worth six points achieved by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. Also refers to the moment an aircraft lands.

Etymology

Compound word from 'touch' + 'down', originally from rugby where players had to literally touch the ball down in the goal area. The aviation meaning developed from the literal sense of an aircraft touching down on the runway.

Kelly Says

The football touchdown doesn't actually require touching the ball to the ground - you just need to cross the goal line with possession. This differs from rugby, where the ball must literally touch down in the goal area to score.

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