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fastball

fastball

55 3.2
A very fast, straight pitch in baseball
  • noun
  • /ˈfæstˌbɔl/
  • US
translation icon : recta
  • He seems to have lost some zip on his fastball.
  • throw a fastball

OK, you cannot have rising fastballs on the moon, it will not work.

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Examples

  • Matt also knew that one more well-thrown fastball would mean a no-hitter.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Here comes a fastball.

  • This guy's gonna start with a fastball.

  • Each subject was then instructed to throw a fastball at maximum velocity to the strike zone.

    Academic text (2004)
  • After those curveballs, that fastball seemed even faster.

  • The next pitch, a low fastball, he golfed into deep left field, a major league shot.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • They'll give him the fastball high and tight and come back with the curve away.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I kept signaling for old number one, the fastball, but Alex kept shaking me off.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • In desperation, the Non-A's pitcher wound up and let go the most powerful fastball of his life.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The pitcher delivered a powerful fastball that caught the batter off guard.

Synonyms

bullet
vsfastball
  • Jargon
34 7.5

A very fast pitch in baseball

is the neutral technical name rather than informal slang for the same pitch
smoke
vsfastball
  • Slang
8 8.5

A very fast pitch in baseball

is the neutral technical name rather than slang usage
heater
vsfastball
  • Jargon
3 8.7

A very fast ball thrown by the pitcher in baseball

is the neutral technical term used in formal descriptions of the pitch
hummer
vsfastball
  • Jargon
1 9.1

A very fast baseball pitch that is hard to hit

is the neutral technical name used for that straight maximum speed pitch

How Fast

fastball
  • US
55 3.2
changeup
  • Specialized
5 5.6
lob
10 4.4

Surface Forms

fastball singular
fastballs plural

Morphology

fastball = fast + ball (transparent) = fast + ball

The meaning is directly built from 'fast' + 'ball' as a ball/pitch that is thrown fast; the composition is straightforward for learners familiar with basic sports vocabulary.

Etymology

The word fastball is the simple combination of fast and ball, meaning a 'quick' thrown 'ball' used in baseball. So, a fastball is a pitch the pitcher throws very quickly, often straight and hard.