pinch hit

¹

noun

, Baseball.

1. a hit made by a pinch hitter.

pinch-hit

²

[ pinch-hit ]

verb (used without object)

, pinch-hit, pinch-hit·ting.

1. Baseball. to serve as a pinch hitter.
2. Informal. to substitute for someone, especially in an emergency.

verb (used with object)

, pinch-hit, pinch-hit·ting.

1. Baseball. to get, or make (a hit) in pinch-hitting.

pinch-hit

verb

1. baseball to bat as a substitute for the scheduled batter
2. informal.
   to act as a substitute
3. cricket (of a batsman in a limited-overs match) to bat aggressively at the start of an innings in order to take advantage of fielding restrictions

Derived Forms

• pinch hitter, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pinch hit¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Origin of pinch hit²

1930–35, Americanism; back formation from pinch hitter

Example Sentences

Ed Kranepool pinch-hit a gentle single; and then Willie Mays was up.

From The Daily Beast

In the top of the ninth inning, in his last appearance in professional baseball, he was sent in to pinch-hit for Zachary.

From The Daily Beast

Muikstra ku sa mga draybir nga nasakit, I pinch-hit for drivers who are sick.

From Project Gutenberg