a container, usually with a handle and spout or lip, for holding and pouring liquids.
Botany.
a pitcherlike modification of the leaf of certain plants.
an ascidium.
a person who pitches.
Baseball. the player who throws the ball to the opposing batter.
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.
sett.
a large jug, usually rounded with a narrow neck and often of earthenware, used mainly for holding water
botany any of the urn-shaped leaves of the pitcher plant
baseball the player on the fielding team who pitches the ball to the batter
a granite stone or sett used in paving
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English picher, from Old French pichier, from Medieval Latin picārium, variant of bicārium beaker
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Two days after his incident with Santana, Caballero was called for a pitch-clock violation when umpires deemed that he was attempting to circumvent the rules by deceiving the pitcher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski helped lead his team to an ideal 2-1 road win over the Phillies Tuesday, avoiding overtaxing his arm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Our daughter is a highly ranked competitive softball pitcher with a 3.94 GPA.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
The childhood sports idols for my generation of cousins were Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela and boxing champ Julio César Chávez, not Mexican soccer legends Hugo Sánchez and Jorge Campos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Dicey brought out a pitcher of lemonade made from a can and seven glasses.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
Det Ch Insp Al Pitcher, of Essex Police, previously said the Rahmans were "trying to help" Musa after he "got into difficulties" in the water.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Pitcher, Liliana Escobar, JSerra, Sr.: The Florida commit helped lead the Lions to their first Southern Section Division 1 title with a 1.25 ERA and 252 strikeouts in 146 innings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 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
Served Vacuum Insulated Pitcher – Lukewarm drinks are nowhere to be found when you use the Served vacuum insulated pitcher.
From Salon ● Nov. 20, 2025
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
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.
