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

And before the season has even started, Murray has already made an impression on the team’s star pass catcher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Peru, the world's largest catcher of anchovy, is facing a devastating blow from warming seas that have gutted production, according to industry officials.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

The Dodgers still have catcher Hunter Feduccia on the roster, and he can serve as the backup to Smith.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

The Dodgers star, who hasn’t pitched in a game since July 3, pitched a live batting practice session, throwing 30 pitches to also-rehabbing catcher Will Smith.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

He got to his feet but stayed in a squat, like a baseball catcher.

From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli

Having sworn never to be taken back to slavery alive—or to let that happen to anyone else—he had organized an armed self-defense force of black neighbors to fend off slave catchers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Feduccia is one of a rotation of catchers filling in for Will Smith, who is working his way back from a neck injury.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Among the 24 major league catchers with at least 200 plate appearances entering play Friday, Rushing ranked fifth in OPS.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

Slave catchers didn’t show their faces often, but it wasn’t unheard of.

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