Polo
/ˈpoʊloʊ/noun
A horseback team sport in which players use long-handled mallets to drive a ball into the opposing goal.
Did you know?The English word polo comes through British India from the Balti word pulu, meaning a ball made of willow roots, not from any Latin or Greek source.
Etymological Timeline
Balti (earlier than 19th century)
Balti
pulu
“A ball, especially one made from willow roots”
19th Century
English
polo
“The horseback game borrowed from the Himalayas and Tibet”
19th Century
English
polo
“The modern sport played on horseback with mallets and a ball”
Modern English
English
polo
“Horseback team sport played with mallets and a ball”