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• pitcher
  pitcher

  noun

  a container, usually with a handle and spout or lip, for holding and pouring liquids.
• Pitcher
  Pitcher

  noun

  Molly Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, 1754–1832, American Revolutionary heroine.

pitcher

¹ American  

[pich-er] / ˈpɪtʃ ər /

noun

1. a container, usually with a handle and spout or lip, for holding and pouring liquids.

2. Botany.

   1. a pitcherlike modification of the leaf of certain plants.

   2. an ascidium.

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pitcher ² American  

[pich-er] / ˈpɪtʃ ər /

noun

1. a person who pitches.

2. Baseball. the player who throws the ball to the opposing batter.

3. Also called number seven iron.  Golf. a club with an iron head the face of which has more slope than a mashie but less slope than a pitching niblick.

4. sett.

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Pitcher ³ American  

[pich-er] / ˈpɪtʃ ər /

noun

1. Molly Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley, 1754–1832, American Revolutionary heroine.

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pitcher ¹ British  

/ ˈpɪtʃə /

noun

1. a large jug, usually rounded with a narrow neck and often of earthenware, used mainly for holding water

2. botany any of the urn-shaped leaves of the pitcher plant

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pitcher ² British  

/ ˈpɪtʃə /

noun

1. baseball the player on the fielding team who pitches the ball to the batter

2. a granite stone or sett used in paving

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pitcher Idioms  

1. see little pitchers have big ears.

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Other Word Forms

• pitcherlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pitcher¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English picher, from Old French pichier, from Medieval Latin picārium, variant of bicārium beaker

Origin of pitcher²

First recorded in 1700–10; pitch ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

In baseball or softball, the pitcher is the player who throws the ball to the catcher in an attempt to strike out the batter. Another kind of pitcher is one that holds a liquid, like a pitcher of lemonade. The pitcher is one of the most important players on a team, aiming the pitch so that it stays inside a certain "strike zone," but in a way that entices the batter to swing and miss or not to swing at all. The batter, on the other hand, tries to hit the ball that the pitcher throws, and maybe even to hit a home run. The 18th-century meaning of pitcher was "one who pitches hay into a wagon."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pitcher Pitcher

His WAR surpasses Ohtani’s total of 6.8 as a hitter and pitcher combined.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

The only players currently under contract for next year are outfielder Mike Trout — the Angels’ answer to Musial — and pitcher Yusei Kikuchi.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

With two extra active roster spots for the rest of the season, the team activated left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski from the IL and recalled infielder Alex Freeland from triple A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

No one challenged that interpretation until Dodger pitcher Andy Messersmith and retired Expo Dave McNally entered arbitration.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Over it a baseball card of the first female pitcher in the majors hangs in a plastic mount.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

The roller-coaster ride has continued: The Kospi has since rebounded from its low, report Jiyoung Sohn, Sooyoung Rhee and Jack Pitcher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Det Ch Insp Al Pitcher, who is leading the investigation, also said "all our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved".

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Named the Big Ten 2026 Pitcher of the Year after stacking a record 113 strikeouts in conference play, Edwards is integral to what has been USC’s best team since the early 2000s.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

The Improbable Rise of Baseball’s Unhittable Pitcher: San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller has struck out 71% of the batters he has faced this season.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026

Ma fixed pots and scythes and rakes and picks for eggs or some such, took what we needed, then traded the rest to Ralph Pitcher for store credit at the mercantile.

From "Worth" by A. LaFaye

Related Words

• ace
• baseball player
• reliever