Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

bonus baby

American  

noun

  1. an athlete who is paid a substantial bonus to sign their first professional contract.


Etymology

Origin of bonus baby

First recorded in 1940–45


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Aaron had been a bonus baby and an all-star — the seventh pick of the 2014 draft who was in the majors a little over a year after he was drafted.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 19, 2022

Why did Posh have that bonus baby at age 45, despite already having three kids?

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2018

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sandy Koufax didn’t spend an inning in the minor leagues, joining his home-town Brooklyn Dodgers as a bonus baby at the start of the 1955 season.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 7, 2015

To Bob Wolff, the Washington Senators’ announcer when Killebrew signed as a bonus baby in 1954, Killebrew’s statement exemplified his humility.

From New York Times ● May 14, 2011

I was not a big bonus baby, I was not a big prospect.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 16, 2010

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training