noun
kicker
KIH-kuh
noun
1
A player, especially in American football, whose job is to kick the ball for field goals, extra points, or kickoffs.
"The kicker nailed the winning field goal as time expired."
2
An unexpected twist or detail, often surprising or ironic, that changes how you see a story.
"The kicker was that he'd known the truth all along."
"And here's the kicker — the whole thing was a misunderstanding."
How to Use Kicker
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a football player who kicks, or the surprising final detail in a story that gives it a punch.
Common pairings
team's kicker
the kicker is...
and here's the kicker
Word Forms
kickers plural, kickers plural
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The _____ nailed the winning field goal as time expired.
Etymology
From "kick" + "-er," originally meaning simply "one who kicks," later extended figuratively to anything that delivers a surprising jolt to a story.