Yorked

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Delivered a fast, full-length ball in cricket that pitches right at the batter's feet under the bat
2. Bowled a yorker, a ball aimed to land at the base of the batsman's stumps so it is hard to hit
3. Sent down a low, full delivery in cricket that lands at the striker's toes and is difficult to play

Etymology: "Yorked" is the past tense and past participle of "york," a cricket verb meaning to bowl a yorker, the fast, full-length delivery that pitches right under the batter's bat at the crease. The verb was formed by back-formation from "yorker," which means the noun came first and the verb was created by stripping away what looked like a suffix. The noun itself is the more interesting piece: it is the older, original term, and the bowling sense it names is a deliberate trick of length, not a brute-force throw. The origin of the word is uncertain. It may be imitative, a sound-based coinage echoing the sharp, decisive impact the delivery is meant to produce, but no firm documentation settles the matter. What is clear is that the verb simply follows the noun's pattern, so anyone who bowls the ball this way is said to have "yorked" the batter.