Knuckler

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A baseball pitch thrown with little or no spin, causing an erratic trajectory that is difficult for batters to hit
2. A type of pitch delivered with minimal rotation, resulting in sudden and unexpected changes in its path as it approaches the batter
3. An unpredictable baseball pitch characterized by its lack of spin, making it challenging for hitters to anticipate and connect with

Etymology: The knuckleball gets its name from the knuckles of the pitcher's fingers, which hold and push the ball so that it spins very little. The word "knuckler" is simply the noun "knuckle" with the suffix "-er" added, and the "-er" ending is one of English's most productive ways of naming a person or thing that does something. Here it names the pitch itself rather than the pitcher, a shift that is common in sporting slang. The suffix has a long history behind it. It descends through Middle English and Old English "-ere" from the Latin "-arius", which denoted a person connected with a trade or occupation, and it reached English by way of Old French "-ier". Its earliest English uses were chiefly for people, such as "baker" and "farmer," which is why a pitch carrying the ending can feel slightly unusual to a first-time listener.