A firm blow as with a staff or club. Cf. bat, v.1

With nouns of action, forming nouns, as back-caper, back-blast, back-come, back-eddy (usually figurative), back-flip, back-flow also (figurative)…

= bandying, n.

An act of striking; a blow given or received. In various games: An act of striking the ball; a hit or an attempted hit; in some games (e.g. tennis)…

An act of stopping the ball in a ball-game.

A heavy blow; spec. a driving stroke made with the full swing of the arms, in cricket or golf; transferred one who makes such a stroke. colloquial.

A blow given to something aimed at; a stroke (at cricket, billiards, etc.); the collision or impact of one body with another.

The normal proportion of malt for a brewing.

The action or an act of screwing (in various senses of screw, v.).

Sport. gen. The action or an act of throwing or hitting a ball back. punt return: see punt, n.4 compounds.

The action of returning the ball (in tennis and other ball games) before it bounces. Also attributive.

An act of striking back; a blow given in return for one received. Also: a stroke which returns a ball, shuttlecock, etc.

Real Tennis, Tennis, Cricket, etc. A return stroke or hit at a ball before it has touched the ground; the action of so returning the ball. (Cf. half-…

One who deals a swipe or driving stroke; also, a swipe.

An aim or stroke, esp. in a game, as tennis, golf, billiards, etc.

Association Football. The action of touching or picking up the ball, esp. illegally, during play. Cf. handball, n. 6.

(esp. Association Football) a kick with a curving trajectory, produced by putting spin on the ball; cf. screw shot n. (b).

A faulty, mistimed, or misdirected stroke or shot.

Tennis. A hard and fast overhand volley. Also in Badminton, Table Tennis, etc.

A failure to gather or field the ball properly.

a piece of fumbling, a bungling attempt at something; spec. in ball games, a clumsy handling of the ball; †also, confused utterance, mumbling.

Sport. The act of taking or sending a ball up to the goal or into a position for final play; esp. (in Golf) a low approach shot in which the ball…

Sport. colloquial. A lofty hit or kick given to a cricket ball, baseball, or football.

The backswing of a golf club, tennis racket, etc., before hitting a ball. rare.

The action or an act of placing (in various senses); the fact or situation of being placed; placing, arrangement, position.

A powerful hit or stroke, esp. with a bat (or racket). Also figurative.

(a) in Golf, etc.: a particularly clever or devious shot; (b) a camera shot made by means of trick photography.

Basketball. A recovery of possession of the ball, esp. a rebound (rebound, n. 5b).

A very fast shot or hit. Cf. scorcher, n. 3c.

Sport. Underspin; also, a stroke or shot which imparts this to the ball.

in golf, tennis, etc.: the playing of (esp. successful or attacking) strokes.