transitive. In Sport (chiefly Tennis): to hit (a ball, etc.), esp. at a particular point in its trajectory; to make a shot.

In certain games. Cricket. (a) Of a batter: To play (a ball) defensively, without attempting to hit it away. Also absol. (b) absol. Of a…

transitive. Cricket. To strike (a ball) with the edge of the bat, to tip. Obsolete. rare.

Cricket. To stop (a ball) with the bat, so as merely to protect the wicket, without attempting to hit so as to score runs; also absol. and with…

Cricket. transitive and intransitive. Of a batter: to strike (the ball) forcefully in front of the wicket with a straight bat, generally into an…

In various games. Cricket. transitive and intransitive. To hit a length ball, a little wide of the off stump, with a bat held quite, or nearly…

transitive. Cricket. Of a batter: to strike (a ball) from the off to the leg side, especially by using a slight turn of the bat; (also) to deflect (a…

Cricket. To hit (a ball) lightly. Also: spec. to glance or touch with the edge of the bat.

transitive. Cricket. To hit (the ball) with a jabbing stroke. Cf. poke, n.5 1c.

In games. Cricket. To hit or lift (the ball) up in the air with a soft or weak stroke. Also, to hit (a simple catch).

transitive. Cricket. To hit (the ball) to leg with an unorthodox sweeping stroke. Also intransitive.

transitive. Cricket. To hit (a ball) or make (a shot) high into the air (thus rendering it easy to catch).

To stop (a cricket ball) by placing the bat more or less over it. Also in Association Football (see quot. 1954).

transitive. Sport. To strike (a ball) high into the air; to execute (a strike of a ball) that propels it high into the air. Also occasionally intrans…

To strike with a brisk or abrupt effect.

transitive. Cricket. Originally: to succeed in hitting (a ball), esp. a low one. Now chiefly: to strike (a ball, the bowler) in the air over the…

transitive. Sport. Originally, in Cricket: to strike (a ball) from the off to the leg side; to strike a ball delivered by (a bowler) in this way…

transitive. Sport. To hit, throw, kick, or propel (a ball) high into the air; = sky, v. 1b.

intransitive. transitive. To deal a swinging blow or hit at (esp. in cricket).

transitive. Cricket.(a) (Of a fielder or wicketkeeper) to hit or break (a wicket), dislodging a bail; (b) (of a batter) to stop or strike (a…

transitive. Cricket. To hit (the ball) past the fieldsman, so as to make a run or runs. Also with the bowler as object.

transitive. Originally and chiefly Cricket. To produce (a hit of a specified type) by striking the ball very hard, as to smite a six (also a homer,…

Cricket. To strike (the ball) lightly so that it glances off in the slips or to leg; to obtain (so many runs) in this way.

To hit (the ball) into the air; esp. in Cricket: often with the bowler as object.

Cricket slang. To hit (a ball) hard with the bat.

To hit (a ball) vigorously with a cricket-bat. Also absol.

transitive. To drive (a ball) to the off side. Frequently also with the bowler as object. Occasionally used intransitively.

Cricket. To hit (the ball) lightly; to snick.

transitive. Cricket. To hit (a ball) to the leg side; = to hit to (the) leg at leg, n. 23. Cf. leg hit n. at leg, n. compounds 2b. Obsolete.

transitive. Sport. To move (the ball) by pushing rather than hitting; to play a push shot or push stroke. Also occasionally intransitive.

transferred and figurative. In Golf, To drive (the ball) widely to the left hand. In Cricket, To play (the ball) round from the ‘off’ to the ‘on’…

Cricket. Of the batter: to play (the ball) with a slight turn of the wrist.

transitive. To drive a ball delivered by (a bowler) to the on side.

Cricket. intransitive. To bring down the blade of the bat quickly and heavily on the ball; transitive, to strike (the ball) in this way.

Cricket. To deflect (the ball) with the glance-stroke (see glance, n.1 1b). Also absol., and with the bowler as object.

a drive in which the ball is struck back down the pitch towards or past the bowler; also as v. transitive.

Cricket. transitive and intransitive. To hit (a ball) hard and high. So with the bowler as object.

Cricket. To deflect (the ball) with the edge of the bat.

To strike.

Cricket. To hit (the ball) with a sweep (sweep, n. 5b). Also absol. or intransitive, to play a sweep.

transitive. To hook (a ball) badly. Also intransitive.

transitive. Sport. To strike (a ball) or make (a stroke) with the middle of the bat or racket; (Cricket) to strike a ball from (a bowler) in this…

(transitive) to drive (a ball or bowler) in this manner.

Cricket. Of a batter: to deflect (a delivery) with a light stroke or glance. (In quots., with bowler as object.)

(transitive) to cut (a ball) thus.

To strike violently or at random; to lay about one with heavy blows; to move rapidly and violently, etc. Also with down, out. Also in cricket, to…

Cricket. To strike (the ball) with the splice of the bat, as a mishit.

transitive. Cricket. To hit (a ball) with a gentle, sweeping stroke, as though with a paddle.