(; ), sometimes anglicized as bocci, is a ball sport belonging to the boules family, closely related to British bowls and French , with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire. Developed into its present form in Italy (where it is called , the plural of the Italian word which means 'bowl' in the sport sense), it is played around Europe and also in overseas areas that have received Italian migrants, including Australia, North America, and South America (where it is known as , or ('Criollo balls') in Venezuela, in Brazil). Bocce was initially played among the Italian migrants but has slowly become more popular with their descendants and the wider community.