Etymograph

English

catenaccio

Catenaccio comes from Italian catenaccio ‘a bolt (for a door)’.

  1. Italianc. 1300–presentcatenaccio1‘a bolt (for a door)’
  2. Englishtodaycatenaccio1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English catenaccio

Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Italianc. 1300–presentcatenaccioWiktionary, English catenaccio‘a bolt (for a door)’
  2. EnglishtodaycatenaccioWiktionary, English catenaccio

The story

Borrowed from Italian catenaccio, literally "bolt (for a door)".

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Latin catēna ‘chain’

chain, 9 more

Today it means

noun A system of defensive play focused on nullifying opponents' attacks and preventing goal-scoring opportunities, typically using a libero.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “catenaccio”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Italian catenaccio / catenaccio

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