Word of the Day

: April 16, 2015

hat trick

noun HAT-TRICK

What It Means

1 : the retiring of three batsmen with three consecutive balls by a bowler in cricket

2 : the scoring of three goals in one game by a single player

3 : a series of three victories, successes, or related accomplishments

hat trick in Context

"Scoring a celestial hat trick, the space shuttle Discovery placed its third satellite in orbit Saturday." - The Houston Post, September 2, 1984

"Eleven seconds into the third period, hundreds of hats were thrown onto the ice after Flyers center Brayden Schenn apparently scored the first hat trick of his career." - Sam Carchidi, Philadelphia Inquirer, March 15, 2015

Did You Know?

It may surprise some people to learn that the term hat trick actually originated in British cricket. A bowler who retired three batsmen with three consecutive balls in cricket was entitled to a new hat at the expense of the club to commemorate this feat. Eventually, the phrase was applied to the same player scoring three goals in any goal sport, and baseball announcers now occasionally refer to a batter who gets three hits in three turns at bat as having managed a hat trick as well. The phrase finally broadened to include any string of three important successes or achievements in any field.