pinch hitter

pinch hitter

1. In baseball, a batter who substitutes for someone else. Their pinch hitter ended up hitting a grand slam and winning the game for them!

2. By extension, anyone who acts as a substitute, especially at the last minute or in an emergency. Because the attorney assigned to the case is so close to having her baby, they asked me to be a pinch hitter in case she gives birth before the trial is over.

See also: hitter, pinch

pinch hitter

A substitute for another person, especially in an emergency. For example, Pat expected her mother to help with the baby, but just in case, she lined up her mother-in-law as pinch hitter . This expression comes from baseball, where it is used for a player substituting for another at bat at a critical point or in a tight situation (called a pinch since the late 1400s). [Late 1800s]

See also: hitter, pinch

pinch hitter

1. n. a substitute batter in the game of baseball. Sam is a pinch hitter for Ralph, who broke his wrist.

2. n. any substitute person. In school today we had a pinch hitter. Our teacher was sick.

See also: hitter, pinch