What does chukka mean?
A chukka is either a period of play in a polo match or a traditional long polo coat. The sporting sense is the older and more general one: a polo match is conventionally divided into several chukkas, with the players changing ends between them. The clothing sense refers especially to the suede or chamois-leather coat once worn by polo players and remains associated with the sport. In British and North American English, the word also gave rise to the familiar term chukka boots, ankle-high leather boots often made from suede. Although a chukka may suggest a refined country or equestrian setting, its sporting meaning is straightforward and practical. The word is especially useful because one term can evoke both a distinctive phase of a polo match and a recognizable item of traditional polo attire.
nounA period of play in polo; also, a traditional long suede or chamois-leather coat worn by polo players.
- One of the periods that make up a polo match.
- A traditional long suede or chamois-leather coat worn by polo players.
"He wore a faded chukka while explaining the strategy for the next chukka."
"The teams changed ends at the end of the second chukka."
"He pulled his old chukka from the wardrobe before going to the match."
The plural refers to separate periods of polo play.
"They won the first two chukkas of the match."
A chukka began as a turn in polo, then became a timeless wardrobe staple associated with the sport.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chukka
The word comes from the Hindi term chhakā, meaning a turn or round, and entered English through polo. It was adopted for a period of polo play and, through its association with polo players, for the long coat traditionally worn by them. The related sporting spelling chukker and the Hindi form chakkar belong to the same cluster of polo vocabulary.
How chukka is actually used
The polo sense is chiefly associated with British sporting usage but is also understood in North America. The clothing sense is relatively uncommon outside polo and country-sports contexts. Chukka boots take their name from the traditional coat or from the clothing traditionally associated with polo players.
Easily confused with chukka
A chuka is a highly spiced South Asian-style curry or chicken dish, whereas a chukka is a polo period or a coat traditionally worn by polo players.