Meaning & use
catcher
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Meanings
nouncountable
In baseball or softball, the player who stands behind home plate and catches the pitches thrown by the pitcher.
Grammar: Countable: a catcher, the catcher, two catchers. Often used with the definite article when referring to the position.
Patterns
- the catcher threw the ball to second base
- a catcher's mitt
The catcher signaled to the pitcher for a fastball.
She is the team's starting catcher this season.
The catcher blocked the pitch in the dirt to keep the runner from advancing.
nouncountable
A person or thing that catches something.
Grammar: Countable; often used in compounds like 'rat catcher' or 'dog catcher'.
Patterns
- a catcher of something
- the catcher of the ball
He is a skilled catcher of falling objects.
The dog catcher picked up the stray animals.
The catcher of the winning pass was mobbed by fans.
Word forms
| plural | catchers |
|---|
Common combinations
- catcher's mitt
- The catcher's mitt is larger and more padded than other gloves.
- backup catcher
- The backup catcher plays when the starter needs a rest.
- catcher in the rye
- The novel 'The Catcher in the Rye' is a classic.
Synonyms and how they differ
- backstop
- In baseball, 'backstop' can mean the catcher or the fence behind home plate; 'catcher' specifically refers to the player.
Word family
Commonly confused: catcher or pitcher?
catcher vs pitcher
The pitcher throws the ball; the catcher receives it. They are opposite roles in baseball.
Practice
In baseball, who is the player positioned behind home plate to receive pitches?
Choose one answer.
The catcher stands behind home plate to catch the pitcher's throws. The pitcher throws the ball, the umpire calls the game, and the shortstop plays between second and third base.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “catcher”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.