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.
The Clubhouse Grill is a fun spot for a country club-style lunch, especially on the terrace overlooking the golf course, and Grand Social is the place to entertain the kids with bocce or live music and a side of wood oven pizza. Nina Ruggiero, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026 Games like classic ring toss, cornhole, bocce and more are built for family fun all summer long. ABC News, 23 May 2026 While the simple Deluxe Room is ideal for a quick overnight trip, guests looking for a longer stay should spread out in the Junior Suite with Living & Dining Area, which opens onto a semi-private stone patio with a bocce court and a firepit in the warmer months. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026 Lawn bowling is a low impact precision sport like bocce or curling. Stephanie Gallman Jordan, Southern Living, 18 May 2026 The celebration features food and music, a bocce tournament, an Elvis Presley impersonator, pizza acrobatics and more. Finch Walker, USA Today, 15 May 2026 Outdoors, there’s lots of room for activities, from the bocce court to the covered courtyard that houses a pizza oven. Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 14 May 2026 Every inch is just packed with people lying on blankets or playing bocce, trying to get a little bit of sunlight. Anne Kadet, Curbed, 29 Apr. 2026 In Colorado’s largest city, Denver’s more than 250 parks offer a wide array of courts for those seeking alternatives to the normal — including bocce, futsal, handball, lawn bowling, sand volleyball, roller hockey, ping pong, cornhole and slackline courses. John Aguilar, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2026

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 28 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster