Meaning & use
full count
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Meanings
nounsingularsport
In baseball, a situation in which the batter has three balls and two strikes counted against him.
Grammar: Usually used with 'a' or 'the': the pitcher threw a full count. It is not plural in this sense.
Patterns
- reach a full count
- with a full count
- a full count to someone
With a full count, the pitcher had to throw a strike.
The crowd grew quiet as the batter worked a full count.
He fouled off two pitches to reach a full count.
nounsingularfigurative
A moment when a situation has reached its most tense or decisive point.
Grammar: Figurative use; often appears after 'at a' or 'on a': at a full count.
Patterns
- at a full count
- on a full count
Negotiations were at a full count when the deadline arrived.
The election came down to a full count in the final district.
Common combinations
- work a full count
- The veteran batter worked a full count before walking.
- reach a full count
- The rookie reached a full count for the first time in the majors.
- with a full count
- With a full count, the next pitch could decide the game.
- a full count to the batter
- The pitcher delivered a full count to the batter.
Synonyms and how they differ
- three-two count
- A more technical way to say the same thing; it names the exact numbers of balls and strikes.
- full count situation
- A longer phrase that emphasizes the tense circumstances rather than the count itself.
Commonly confused: full count or full house?
full count vs full house
In poker, 'full house' is a hand with three of one rank and two of another; it has nothing to do with baseball counts.
Practice
In baseball, what does a full count mean?
Choose one answer.
A full count is exactly three balls and two strikes. Four balls would be a walk, and three foul balls is not a count at all.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “full count”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.