catcher

American  

[kach-er] / ˈkætʃ ər /

noun

• catchers
  plural

1. a person or thing that catches.

2. Baseball. the player stationed behind home plate, whose chief duty is to catch pitches not hit by the batter.

3. 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.

4. Metalworking. a person who feeds metal rods through a looping mill.

5. catcher resonator. Electronics. Klystron

---

catcher British  

/ ˈkætʃə /

noun

1. a person or thing that catches, esp in a game or sport

2. baseball a fielder who stands behind home plate and catches pitched balls not hit by the batter

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• catchers
  plural

---

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

See Examples For:

catcher catchers

Milwaukee's William Contreras was named the World Series' most valuable player, with the 28-year-old becoming the eighth catcher to win the award and the third Venezuelan.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Rays catcher Liam Hicks followed the error by shooting a grounder into left field.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

The son of Marvin Harrison Sr., a Hall of Fame pass catcher for the Indianapolis Colts during Peyton Manning’s heyday, he was a two-time All-American with all the traits that coaches love.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

One of them, Dodgers catcher Will Smith, has one hit in 23 at-bats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

The slave catcher whispered his address and the black boy recorded his words.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

My favorite words are “pitchers and catchers report”—to spring training.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Brook has also turned himself into one of England's most reliable catchers.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

And while that last claim is somewhat breathless and overblown, the story told by Mr. Kerbaj teems with spies and spy catchers who could have slithered off the pages of John le Carré.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

The Dodgers switched their backup catchers Saturday, optioning Chuckie Robinson.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

“But, Mr. Leroy, there’re slave catchers over in Michigan. How we gonna stop someone from trying to kidnap us?”

From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---