bunt

¹ American  

[buhnt] / bʌnt /

verb (used with object)

1. Baseball. to bat (a pitched ball) very gently so that it rolls into the infield close to home plate, usually by holding the bat loosely in hands spread apart and allowing the ball to bounce off it.

2. (of a goat or calf) to push with the horns or head; butt.

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verb (used without object)

1. Baseball. to bunt a ball.

2. to push (something) with the horns or head.

noun

1. Baseball.

   1. the act of bunting.

   2. a bunted ball.

2. a push with the head or horns; butt.

bunt ² American  

[buhnt] / bʌnt /

noun

1. Nautical. the middle part of a square sail.

2. the bagging part of a fishing net or bagging middle area of various cloth objects.

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bunt ³ American  

[buhnt] / bʌnt /

noun

Plant Pathology.

1. a smut disease of wheat in which the kernels are replaced by the black, foul-smelling spores of fungi of the genus Tilletia.

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bunt ¹ British  

/ bʌnt /

verb

1. (of an animal) to butt (something) with the head or horns

2. to cause (an aircraft) to fly in part of an inverted loop or (of an aircraft) to fly in such a loop

3. (in baseball) to hit (a pitched ball) very gently

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noun

1. the act or an instance of bunting

bunt ² British  

/ bʌnt /

noun

1. nautical the baggy centre of a fishing net or other piece of fabric, such as a square sail

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bunt ³ British  

/ bʌnt /

noun

1. a disease of cereal plants caused by smut fungi (genus Tilletia )

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Other Word Forms

• bunter
  noun
• bunted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of bunt¹

First recorded in 1760–70; originally British dialect (central and south England): “to push, strike”; origin uncertain

Origin of bunt²

First recorded in 1575–85; origin uncertain

Origin of bunt³

First recorded in 1595–1605; origin uncertain

Explanation

To bunt is to hit a baseball in a deliberately light way, without swinging. Some players bunt so that another runner can get from second to third base. The bunt is a rarely-used technique in baseball. When a batter bunts, the ball doesn't travel far — there's basically no chance that a bunt will result in a home run, for example. It forces the fielders to run forward, which can sometimes be an advantage for the team that's at bat. The earliest meaning of bunt, "to strike with the head or horns" is probably an early variation on butt, with the baseball meaning arising in the 19th century.

Example Sentences

The Dodgers widened their lead to two runs but gave it up in the eighth on a pair of errors, including one on a sacrifice bunt.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026

He got Julien to pop out on a sacrifice bunt attempt and then started a double play himself.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026

With the would-be tying run standing on first base and one out, Scott crashed hard on Geraldo Perdomo’s sacrifice bunt and zipped a throw across the diamond just in time for the out.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

They deployed strategies like the sacrifice bunt and stolen base with remarkable frequency despite lacking real evidence to justify such usage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Artis tried to lay down a bunt, but they nailed him at first.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson