overpitchv.
/ˌəʊvəˈpɪtʃ/, U.S. /ˌoʊvərˈpɪtʃ/ΚΠ
a1800 W. Cowper tr. Homer Iliad xxiii, in Wks. (1835–7) 310 Epeüs seized the clod. He swung, he cast it... Leonteus..quoited it next. Huge Telamonian Ajax with strong arm Dismiss'd it third, and overpitch'd them both.
2. transitive and intransitive. Chiefly Sport. To throw further than is intended or needed; (Cricket) to bowl (a ball) so that it pitches (or would pitch) beyond a good length, esp. as a fault in bowling.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > cricket > bowling > bowl [verb (transitive)] > bowl in specific manner
twist1816
overthrow1833
to bowl over the wicket1851
overpitch1851
bump1869
york1882
to break a ball1884
flog1884
to bowl round (or formerly outside) the wicket1887
turn1898
flick1902
curl1904
spin1904
volley1909
flight1912
to give (a ball) air1920
tweak1935
move1938
overspin1940
swing1948
bounce1960
cut1960
seam1963
dolly1985
1851 J. Pycroft Cricket Field viii. 161 Playing him back all day if he bowls short, and hitting him hard along the ground whenever he overpitches.
1917 A. Conan Doyle His Last Bow i. 12 ‘Garcia rolled it up and threw it into the fire.’.. ‘It was a dog-grate..and he overpitched it.’
1958 D. Bradman Art of Cricket 104/1 If one's length is faulty, over-pitch rather than under-pitch that new ball.
2000 Canberra Times (Nexis) 30 Jan. a14 If you drop it short or overpitch, especially to batsmen like Cade Brown, they'll make the most of it.
3. transitive and intransitive. To pitch too high; to exaggerate; to overstate.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > exaggeration, hyperbole > exaggerate [verb (transitive)]
flatter?c1225
engregec1386
enhancec1400
extol?1504
extend1509
aggravate1533
exagger1535
blowa1538
amplify1561
exasperate1561
bombast1566
aggerate1570
enlarge1592
rengrege1601
exaggerate1604
magnify1605
hyperbolize1609
to slobber over ——1761
bloat1896
over-heighten1904
overpitch1904
overblow1961
inflate1982
1904 in N.E.D. (at cited word) Overpitch.
1958 Jrnl. Symbolic Logic 23 67 Stegmüller overpitches (a) somewhat; and neither (b) nor (c) is strictly true.
1990 G. Lancaster & D. Jobber Sales & Technique Managem. (1992) 86 Never ‘over-pitch’ such technicality, because potential buyers will generally pretend that they understand, and will not want to admit that they do not because of ‘loss of face’.
1992 Guardian (Nexis) 14 May 27 Alex Kingston, a tower of purple passion in scarlet satin, overpitches a little to begin with, but holds the character of Dolores well.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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v.a1800