bunt

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈbənt 

1

a

: the middle part of a square sail

b

: the part of a furled sail gathered up in a bunch at the center of the yard

2

: the bagging part of a fishing net

bunt

2 of 4

verb

bunted; bunting; bunts

transitive verb

1

: to strike or push with or as if with the head : butt

2

: to push or tap (a baseball) lightly with a bat without swinging

intransitive verb

: to bunt a baseball

bunter noun

bunt

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

: an act or instance of bunting

2

: a bunted ball

bunt

4 of 4

noun (3)

: a destructive covered smut of wheat caused by a fungus (genus Tilletia)

Examples of bunt in a Sentence

Verb

The batter bunted for a single.

He bunted the ball toward third base.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Chris Taylor dropped a bunt down in front of home plate and Ottavino dropped it before finally getting it in his glove, but not before all of the runners tagged up. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 May 2024

Isabella Garcia, who reached on a bunt single, came in to score a moment later, the result of an error, and the Trojans had a 3-1 lead. —Glenn Reeves, The Mercury News, 25 May 2024

Verb

Miguel Rojas also doubled in the fourth and bunted for a single in the seventh, improving the team’s record to 24-0 in games in which the veteran infielder gets a hit. —Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024

Our nation's Independence Day falls midweek this year, so hang out your stars and stripes bunting and put on your party pants because the celebrations begin early and run into the weekend. —Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 24 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from Low German, bundle, from Middle Low German; akin to Old English byndel bundle

Verb

alteration of butt

Noun (3)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1584, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1767, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

circa 1790, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bunt

• drag bunt
• sac bunt
• sacrifice bunt

Kids Definition

bunt

verb

ˈbənt

1

: to strike or push with the horns or head : butt

2

: to push or tap a baseball lightly without swinging the bat

bunt noun

bunter noun