bocce

noun

boc·​ce ˈbä-chē How to pronounce bocce (audio)
variants or less commonly bocci or boccie
: a bowling game of Italian origin played on a long narrow court (as of sand, clay, grass, or carpet) with bocce balls (see bocce balls sense 2) which are rolled to stop as close as possible to a small target ball

called also bocce ball

Examples of bocce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Amenities include a supervised kids’ program, plus a fitness center, yoga classes, and courts for tennis, bocce, and pickleball. Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2024 Mix High and Low The garden operates on two levels, with a firepit lounge and dining area on the first level, and a bocce court and swinging chair on the second. Rory Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2025 This 12-acre park has interactive water features, bocce courts, reading rooms, art installations and more. Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2025 The grounds include a bocce court, outdoor dining spot, stone fire pit and mature landscaping. David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 19 Apr. 2025 The Roost beverage director Justin Sheffey will come up with easy-drinking happy hour cocktails to sip on Good Neighbor’s three patios, one of which will replace a former bocce court. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 18 Mar. 2025 Over the past 10 years, new luxury apartments have been developed in the area along with several new restaurants, a new community recreation center, and outdoor bocce courts, along with summer concerts, car shows, and other community events. Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025 There’s a one-acre cabernet sauvignon vineyard, a pickleball court and a bocce court. Angela Serratore, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024 This best-selling set from Amazon is an all-around solid standard bocce set. Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 26 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian bocce, plural of boccia ball, from Vulgar Latin *bottia boss

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bocce was in 1828

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bocce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bocce. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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