Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dust off a batter

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.50 in modern English

Syllables: dust of-f a -bat-ter
IPA

23

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

for a pitcher to throw a pitch at or near the batter, typically to frighten the batter or to have him stand farther away from home plate.

Example Sentences

"That pitcher doesn't like the hitters too close to the plate so every once in a while he'll dust off a batter."
"He never attempted to dust off a batter; and his control was so great that no hitter was ever afraid to stand right up to the plate and look Matty's fast ball right in the eye."

Etymology

From the concept that a pitch thrown very close to a batter will remove some dust or dirt from the batter's uniform either by brushing against it or causing a breeze very close to it, or alternatively by the batter jumping away from the pitch to avoid being hit.

Inflected Forms

dusts off a batter (present, singular) dusting off a batter (participle, present) dusted off a batter (participle, past) dusted off a batter (past)

Questions

What does dust off a batter mean?: for a pitcher to throw a pitch at or near the batter, typically to frighten the batter or to have him stand farther away from home plate.
Where does dust off a batter come from?: From the concept that a pitch thrown very close to a batter will remove some dust or dirt from the batter's uniform either by brushing against it or causing a breeze very close to it, or alternatively by the batter jumping away from the pitch to avoid being hit.

How to pronounce dust off a batter

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