catcher
Americannoun
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a person or thing that catches.
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Baseball. the player stationed behind home plate, whose chief duty is to catch pitches not hit by the batter.
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a member of an aerialist team, as in a circus, who hangs head down from a trapeze and catches another member who has completed a jump or somersault through the air.
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Metalworking. a person who feeds metal rods through a looping mill.
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catcher resonator. Electronics. Klystron
noun
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a person or thing that catches, esp in a game or sport
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baseball a fielder who stands behind home plate and catches pitched balls not hit by the batter
Etymology
Origin of catcher
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at catch, -er 1
Explanation
In baseball or softball, the catcher is the player who crouches behind home plate and catches the pitches that aren't hit by the batter. The catcher plays an important role in the game of baseball, being the person who uses hand signals to request specific pitches and heads up the team's defense. Because of the catcher's position (behind a swinging bat, facing a fast-moving baseball), he or she wears protective gear, including a mask and chest guard. Catchers tend to have more injuries and shorter careers than other players — crouching tends to be very hard on their knees.
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.
Junior catcher Michael Santillan has been a big contributor for Garfield.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
A ball is a ball to within a fraction of an inch, no matter how enticing a sneaky catcher can make it look to a mere mortal.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
It’s also a night that forces Smith, the Dodgers’ stoic All-Star catcher, to take the stage, thank everyone for coming, and smile and laugh before the professional comedians take the stage.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
A star pass rusher or another top pass catcher being two options, but instead the Rams used that selection on a player who in all probability will not see the field at all in 2026.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
Like I said, a catcher has to do a lot of thinking.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
