bunt

¹

[buhnt]

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.

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

[buhnt]

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.

bunt

³

[buhnt]

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.

bunt

¹

/ 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

noun

1. the act or an instance of bunting

bunt

²

/ bʌnt /

noun

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

bunt

³

/ bʌnt /

noun

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

Other Word Forms

• bunter noun
• bunted adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bunt¹

C19: perhaps nasalized variant of _butt ³

Origin of bunt²

C16: perhaps from Middle Low German bunt _bundle

Origin of bunt³

C17: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Who knew the Dodgers could so deftly field a bunt play?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Take the first big turning point of this postseason: The iconic “wheel play” the Dodgers ran to defend a bunt in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

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It feels like a gift, and there’s always a risk the bunt isn’t executed correctly, another reason the nerds despise it.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

George Springer led off with a base hit, was bunted over to second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

Read more on BBC

Said Rojas: “I’m happy that he called it right there on the field. Because it was the right play with the right runner, knowing the guy was going to bunt.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times