WordGarden.iopitcher
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /pˈɪtʃə/
US
- /ˈpɪtʃər/
Meanings
Noun
a player in baseball or softball who throws the ball to start each play
a handled container with a spout for holding and pouring liquids
Beyond the definition
A pitcher is most often a container used to hold and pour liquids, like a water pitcher on the dinner table or a small milk pitcher with coffee. But it is also an important player in baseball. In that game, the pitcher is the person who throws the ball toward home plate and tries to get the batter out. So the word moves between an everyday object and a sports role. You might say, "She filled the pitcher with lemonade," or "The pitcher threw a 90-mile-per-hour fastball."
Historically, the term could also mean a seller who tried to interest people in goods. This use is now uncommon, but it helps explain why we still say "sales pitch."
The word "pitcher" has several meanings. Most commonly, a pitcher is a container, usually with a handle and a spout, used for holding and pouring liquids. You might picture a glass pitcher of iced tea on a hot day, a plastic pitcher of juice in the fridge, or a small cream pitcher on a breakfast table. "She carefully poured the water from the pitcher into the glasses."
In sports, especially baseball, a pitcher is the player who throws the ball to the batter. This is one of the central roles in the game, and people often talk about a team's best pitcher or starting pitcher. "The veteran pitcher dominated the game, striking out ten batters."
There is also an older meaning: a pitcher could be a street seller or someone trying to sell goods. That use is rare now, but it is connected to the verb "pitch," meaning to present something in a convincing way. This is why a talk meant to sell a product or idea is still called a "pitch."
So, depending on the situation, "pitcher" may refer to something you pour from, a baseball player who throws the ball, or, in older English, a person selling something.
Examples
- 1
Water container
She filled a pitcher with cold water and put it on the table.
- 2
Shared drinks
We ordered a pitcher of lemonade for the whole table.
- 3
Serving drinks
He poured the iced tea from the pitcher into six glasses.
- 4
Baseball action
The pitcher threw the ball too high, and the crowd groaned.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Baseball starter
Their starting pitcher has won ten games this season.
- Domainstarting pitcher
the player who begins a baseball game as pitcher
- 6
Relief role
The coach brought in a relief pitcher in the eighth inning.
- Domainrelief pitcher
a pitcher who replaces another pitcher during a baseball game
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- pitchernoun
Forms
- pitcherspluralnoun