shot stopper
- noun
:
portero
- The coach praised the shot-stopper for making several incredible saves during the match.
Examples
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Every time the opponent attacked, the shot-stopper was ready to defend the goal expertly.
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He could only manage the slightest of touches, and it resulted in a simple save for Sweden's shot-stopper Andreas Isaksson.
Blog text (18) -
As the tournament progressed, the team's shot-stopper became known for his reflexes and agility.
Synonyms
49
2.5
A player in sports like soccer or hockey who guards the goal and stops the other team from scoring
18
2.5
A player in sports like soccer who stops the other team from scoring by guarding the goal
9
4.0
A player who guards the goal to stop the other team from scoring
1
8.0
A player who protects the goal in hockey or soccer by blocking shots
A player who guards the goal and tries to stop the other team from scoring
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly built from 'shot' (an attempt to score) + 'stopper' (one who stops), so a listener can infer 'one who stops shots' — i.e. a goalkeeper who saves shots. Although 'stopper' as an agent noun is somewhat less frequent, the composition is regular and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will likely understand it.
Etymology
The phrase shot stopper creates a clear image: a stopper who blocks a shot. Picture a goalkeeper diving to block the ball, and that's why it means 'a goalkeeper who is very good at saving shots'.