Batswoman

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A female athlete who participates in the sport of cricket by batting while representing a team
2. An individual of the female gender who engages in batting roles in cricket competitions across various formats
3. A woman who plays cricket, focusing on the skill of batting to score runs for her team during matches

Etymology: "Batswoman" is a compound of "bat," "-s-," and "woman," and its history is mostly a matter of putting old parts together. The "bat" is the cricket bat, a word that reached English in the Middle English period from Old English "batt," which itself came by way of Old French "batte" (a club or beater). The "woman" is the familiar English word, descended from Old English "wīfmann," a compound of "wīf" (wife, or woman) and "mann" (person, human being). The linking "-s-" is the unusual part. It is a joining element that appears in older English compounds, and it is what makes this word look slightly strange to modern eyes. Its presence is a reminder that English once built compounds with these connecting sounds more freely than it does now.

Synonyms: female batsman