Grounder

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɹaʊndə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. A type of baseball hit that travels close to the surface and often rolls, typically remaining within the infield area and characterized by its low flight path
2. A batted baseball that stays low and moves along the field's surface rather than flying through the air
3. A type of ball in baseball that is struck to roll or bounce on the playing field instead of being hit high

Etymology: "Grounder" is a plain formation: the noun "ground" with the agent-forming suffix "-er," the same ending found in words like "banker" or "rider." The Middle English form appears in written sources, and it began life as a description of anything that went along the ground, which is exactly what a low-rolling hit does. In baseball the term describes a ball struck so that it bounces or rolls along the infield grass, as opposed to a fly ball that travels through the air. The word's core meaning therefore stayed close to its physical source. The ball is the thing that "grounds" its way toward the fielders, and the word names it by its path rather than by any feature of the bat or batter. Because the sport's vocabulary grew up around such distinctions, "grounder" sits alongside "fly" and "liner" as one of the everyday labels for a batted ball's trajectory.

Synonyms: ground ball, bouncer, hit, roll, bounce