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foul tip: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Low
UK/ˌfaʊl ˈtɪp/US/ˌfaʊl ˈtɪp/

Technical/Sports

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Quick answer

What does “foul tip” mean?

In baseball/softball, a batted ball that goes sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher's hands and is legally caught.

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Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

In baseball/softball, a batted ball that goes sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher's hands and is legally caught.

A glancing or deflected contact that results in a minor, often unintended, outcome; metaphorically, any slight, glancing contact or near-miss.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

The term is almost exclusively used in American English contexts due to the sport's prevalence. In British English, it would be understood only by those familiar with baseball.

Connotations

In AmE: specific sports action. In BrE: likely unfamiliar or a direct borrowing from baseball.

Frequency

Very high frequency in American sports reporting/commentary; extremely low to zero in general British English.

Grammar

How to Use “foul tip” in a Sentence

The batter fouled tipped the pitchThe catcher caught the foul tip

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
caught foul tipfoul tip strikeoutfoul tip intofoul tip off the bat
medium
swing and a foul tipjust a foul tipfoul tip back
weak
loud foul tiphigh foul tipfoul tip rule

Examples

Examples of “foul tip” in a Sentence

verb

British English

  • The batter foul-tipped the fastball into the catcher's mitt.
  • He just managed to foul-tip the slider.

American English

  • The hitter fouled off a few pitches, then foul-tipped the third strike.
  • She foul-tipped the rise ball, and the catcher held on.

adjective

British English

  • The foul-tip call was confirmed by replay.
  • It was ruled a foul-tip strike.

American English

  • The foul-tip rule can be confusing for new fans.
  • He recorded a foul-tip strikeout to end the inning.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Not used.

Academic

Only in sports science or rule analysis.

Everyday

Rare, only in baseball/softball conversations.

Technical

Precise term in baseball/softball officiating and statistics.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “foul tip”

Neutral

tipped foulfoul deflection

Weak

glancing foulfoul tick

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “foul tip”

clean hitfair ballswing and a miss

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “foul tip”

  • Using it to describe any foul ball. Confusing it with a 'foul ball' that is not caught. Using it as a verb without the correct phrasing ('He fouled tipped it').

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Only if it is caught for strike three. Otherwise, it is simply a strike, and the at-bat continues.

Yes. A foul tip is a live ball. Runners may attempt to steal or advance, but they do so at risk of being put out.

Primarily baseball and softball. The term is defined in their respective official rulebooks.

Very rarely. It might be used metaphorically to describe a near-miss or glancing contact in other contexts, but this is not standard.

In baseball/softball, a batted ball that goes sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher's hands and is legally caught.

Foul tip is usually technical/sports in register.

Foul tip: in British English it is pronounced /ˌfaʊl ˈtɪp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌfaʊl ˈtɪp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of the bat just 'tipping' the ball, sending it 'foul' (out of fair territory), but straight back.

Conceptual Metaphor

A NEAR-MISS IS A FOUL TIP (e.g., 'Our proposal was a foul tip—it just barely missed being accepted.').

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
With a full count, the batter the pitch, and the catcher made the catch for the out.
Multiple Choice

What is the key difference between a foul tip and a foul ball?

foul tip: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples | Lingvocore