Meaning & use
pitcher
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Meanings
nouncountable
A container with a handle and a spout, used for holding and pouring liquids.
Grammar: Countable: a pitcher, two pitchers. Often used with 'of': a pitcher of water.
Patterns
- a pitcher of something
- pour from a pitcher
She filled the glass pitcher with lemonade.
Could you pass me the pitcher of water, please?
The waiter brought a pitcher of iced tea to the table.
nouncountablesport
In baseball, the player who throws the ball to the batter.
Grammar: Countable: a pitcher, the pitcher. Often used with 'for' a team.
Patterns
- the pitcher threw the ball
- a pitcher for a team
The pitcher struck out the last batter to win the game.
He is the best pitcher on the team.
The pitcher wound up and threw a fastball.
Word forms
| plural | pitchers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a pitcher of water
- The server left a pitcher of water on the table.
- a glass pitcher
- She broke a glass pitcher while washing dishes.
- a starting pitcher
- The starting pitcher for the home team is a rookie.
- relief pitcher
- The relief pitcher came in during the seventh inning.
- pitcher's mound
- The pitcher's mound is in the center of the field.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: pitcher or picture?
pitcher vs picture
A 'picture' is a drawing or photograph; a 'pitcher' is a container or a baseball player. They sound similar but are different words.
Practice
In the sentence 'The pitcher struck out the batter,' what does 'pitcher' mean?
Choose one answer.
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws the ball to the batter. The other meaning is a container, which does not fit the context of striking out a batter.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pitcher”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.