Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

switch-hitter

play
noun switch-hit·ter \ -ˈhi-tər \

Definition of switch-hitter

1 :a baseball player who switch-hits
2 slang :bisexual
3 :one that is flexible or adaptable; especially :a person who can work equally well in either of two jobs or capacities

See switch-hitter defined for English-language learners

See switch-hitter defined for kids

From the M-W Editors

alt-59c2960017c94
The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
image1644821030
These Are Fighting Words
alt-59c2cb9e9ef54
Trending: Ivanka: "An 'Otherwise' Incredible Day"

First Known Use of switch-hitter

1928

SWITCH-HITTER Defined for English Language Learners

switch-hitter

play
noun

Definition of switch-hitter for English Language Learners

  • baseball : a batter who bats right-handed against a left-handed pitcher and left-handed against a right-handed pitcher

Learn More about switch-hitter

  1. See words that rhyme with switch-hitter

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up switch-hitter? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

shofar

play

a ram's-horn trumpet used in Judaism

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. otherwise "in other respects"

  2. federalism Graham says bill gives power to states

  3. bodega "Don’t mess with the beloved bodega."

  4. carceral Of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison

  5. allegory No spoilers!

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

switch-hitter

Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

  • young-plant-shoots
  • Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image1644821030
8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

Terms that go beyond the squared circle

alt-59c2960017c94
The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

image536372841
Silent Letters

When each letter can be seen but not heard

alt-59c17b8172892
'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots
Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz
stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy
Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz
Bee Cubed
Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game