hat trick

sports First used to describe cricketer H.H. Stephenson's accomplishment in 1858 of knocking three wickets off in three consecutive deliveries, and so named because he was allegedly awarded a new hat afterward.

1. cricket Three wickets knocked off by a bowler in three consecutive deliveries. He came amazingly close to securing a hat trick, but the third batter managed to dash his hopes by scoring a run. Please, that guy's new to cricket. There's no way he scores a hat trick against us. Did you just knock off a third wicket? Oh my gosh, that's a hat trick, my friend!

2. Three goals or points scored by a single player in one game or match. Used in many different sports, especially hockey and association football (soccer). Fans' hats littered the ice to celebrate the player's hat trick, his fourth so far this season. I've never seen a hat trick in person before! This is so exciting—look at all those hats! McDavid had two goals and came really close to scoring a hat trick, but his shot at the buzzer clanged off the crossbar.

3. Three consecutive wins or achievements by a single athlete, such as winning three consecutive major tournaments in tennis or golf. Matthews has been playing the best golf of her life this year, and she is poised to secure a hat trick if she wins the Ladies European Tour next month. Do you know how hard it is for a tennis player to have a hat trick? You know, win three consecutive major championships? The young player shocked the tennis world by getting a hat trick in her first year at the professional level.

4. baseball and softball Three home runs in a single game. Fans were on their feet for her hat trick as her third home run sailed into the bleachers. At the start of my MLB career, when I was just a call-up on the bench, I felt like I'd never hit a home run, let alone a hat trick! That guy hits home runs in bunches. He hasn't hit one in a bit, but he had a hat trick a few weeks ago.

5. baseball and softball Three strikeouts in a single game. With such a terrible performance so far, the team's star player has been relegated to the dugout after getting a hat trick. While I don't expect to get a hit every time I go up to bat, I'm certainly not thrilled about getting a hat trick! He's had a rough night at the plate and is one strikeout away from a hat trick.

See also: hat, trick

hat trick

An extremely clever or adroit maneuver, as in It looked as though the party was going to achieve a hat trick in this election. The term originated in cricket, where it refers to three wickets taken by a bowler in three consecutive balls, traditionally rewarded with the presentation of a hat. It later was transferred to ice hockey, soccer, and baseball, where it denotes three consecutive successes (goals, hits), and then to more general use.

See also: hat, trick

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

a hat trick

n. three successes in a row. (Typically, three hockey goals by one player, and other scoring in threes in other sports. Extended use covers three same or different sexual “scores” (see score) by a person in a period of time.) Walter pulled a hat trick, and the fans roared.

See also: hat, trick

hat trick

A remarkable threefold accomplishment or adroit maneuver. The term originated in cricket, where in the 1850s it became customary to give the prize of a new hat to a bowler who took three wickets with three consecutively bowled balls. It was soon extended to other sports—a hockey player scoring three goals in one game, a jockey winning three races in one day. By about 1950 the term was extended to nonathletic threefold achievements.

See also: hat, trick

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