Meaning & use
letterman football
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableAmerican
A high school or college football player who has earned a varsity letter for playing on the team.
Grammar: Countable: a letterman football player, two letterman football players.
Patterns
- a letterman football player
He was a letterman football player in high school and still loves the game.
The college gave scholarships to several letterman football players.
My brother became a letterman football player in his senior year.
noununcountableAmerican
The sport of American football as played by varsity athletes who have earned a letter.
Grammar: Uncountable: play letterman football, not 'play a letterman football'.
Patterns
- play letterman football
He played letterman football at the state university.
Letterman football is taken very seriously in some Texas towns.
Common combinations
- letterman football player
- The letterman football player was proud of his varsity jacket.
- letterman football jacket
- He wore his letterman football jacket to the reunion.
- letterman football scholarship
- She received a letterman football scholarship to a small college.
Synonyms and how they differ
- varsity football
- Use this when focusing on the team level rather than the individual award; 'letterman football' emphasizes the letter award.
Word family
- letterman noun
- A student who has earned a varsity letter in a sport.
- letter noun
- The embroidered symbol awarded for achievement in a school sport.
Commonly confused: letterman football or football?
letterman football vs football
In the US, 'football' usually means American football; in the UK, it means soccer. 'Letterman football' always refers to the American version.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'letterman football' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The term describes a varsity athlete who has earned a letter, so 'a letterman football player' fits. The other options misuse it for professional or general play, or confuse it with soccer.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “letterman football”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.