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

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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

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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

Retired catcher Jason Varitek, a franchise icon who won titles with Boston in 2004 and 2007, was also removed from his coaching role.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Challenges must be requested immediately and can only come from the batter, pitcher or catcher with no assistance from the dugout.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

In past Octobers, the Dodgers have prioritized defense at catcher.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

Rortvedt was a trade deadline acquisition last summer, picked up with pitcher Paul Gervase from the Tampa Bay Rays for catcher Hunter Feduccia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

She and Royal and Red may have diminished the slave catcher when they last met, but it was Mabel who first laid him low.

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

Root was aggressive, with plenty of catchers in place for most of the day.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

A look at the major leagues’ best catchers and hitters at using the ABS challenge so far this season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026

Knowing conditions were in their favour and time on the field was short, England crowded the bat with as many as seven close catchers.

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026

And he had a 71% success rate, the ninth-best mark among catchers with at least 20 challenges.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

“No,” Grandpa said, shaking his head, “I don’t believe I know of any monkey catchers in town, but I think there’s a place where we can find out something.”

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls