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 /

noun

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

bunt

²

/ 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

³

/ bʌnt /

noun

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

Other Words From

• bunter noun

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

C16: perhaps from Middle Low German bunt bundle

Origin of bunt²

C19: perhaps nasalized variant of butt ³

Origin of bunt³

C17: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

The only out Harvey recorded in the fifth was a sacrifice bunt, around three singles.

From Washington Post

You might think that laying down bunts 10 times as often as you hit homers isn’t a recipe for success — and it hasn’t been, outside of deadball times.

From FiveThirtyEight

The out rates on bunt attempts by pitchers have creeped up every year since 2016, and in 2021 it has soared to nearly 94 percent, which would be the highest rate since 1974, the first year there is data on the subject.

From Washington Post

Round out your routine with these moves, recommended by Bunt.

From Outside Online

Every movement has a relationship between force and velocity, Bunt explains, and this creates a spectrum called the force-velocity curve.

From Outside Online

In order to make it difficult for Crispin to bunt, Grant put one over high and closetoo high and too close.

From Project Gutenberg

He saw Grant looking toward the bench and placing himself in position to get away swiftly on the bunt.

From Project Gutenberg

The little bunt had proved so totally unexpected that the Belden players were caught flat-footed.

From Project Gutenberg

That fellow never swung at a ball before—that one never heard of a bunt—they throw like girls—Oh!

From Project Gutenberg

Pitcher and baseman ran for the bunt; Hollis was safe, and the sprinting Dreer went to third without even drawing a throw.

From Project Gutenberg