home run

American  

[hohm ruhn] / ˈhoʊm ˈrʌn /

noun

1. Also called homer.  Baseball. a hit that enables a batter, without the aid of a fielding error, to score a run by making a nonstop circuit of the bases. h.r., hr, HR

2. a complete or unqualified success.

   trying to hit a home run at the box office.

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home run British  

noun

1. baseball a hit that enables the batter to run round all four bases, usually by hitting the ball out of the playing area

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home run Idioms  

1. A highly successful achievement; also, doubling one's profits. For example, We scored a home run with that drug stock, buying it at 15 and selling at 30. This expression originated in the mid-1800s in baseball, where it refers to a pitched ball batted so far that the batter can round all three bases and reach home plate, scoring a run. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

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Etymology

Origin of home run

An Americanism first recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

They do this because it improves bat speed—an increasingly important metric among MLB organizations—which in turn leads to more home runs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dane Cunningham had a home run for Huntington Beach.

From Los Angeles Times

Last season he broke out as a bona fide star, becoming the first MLB player to accumulate 25 home runs, 25 stolen bases and 70 runs batted in during the first half of a season.

From Los Angeles Times

Not every presentation is a home run, but they’re all worth more than a few listens.

From Salon

He finished the season with a .266 batting average and 22 home runs, career lows for him.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• center
• dead center
• omphalos