bunt
|bunt|
/bʌnt/
small, light, decorative (cloth/flag) or small bird
Etymology
'bunt' originates from Middle English, recorded as 'bunt' or 'bunte', though its ultimate origin is uncertain.
'bunt' changed from Middle English 'bunt'/'bunte' (used for diseased or discolored grain) and later acquired the additional modern sense in American baseball of a short, light tap; both senses survive in modern English as 'bunt'.
Initially, it referred primarily to a disease affecting grain; over time (19th century, US) the word also came to mean 'a light, controlled baseball hit', the two senses remaining distinct.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a light, controlled baseball hit in which the batter deliberately taps the ball lightly without swinging, typically to advance a base runner or to reach base.
He laid down a bunt to move the runner to second.
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Noun 2
a fungal disease of cereal crops (also called smut) that causes damaged or discolored grain.
Bunt affected many acres of the wheat crop that year.
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Verb 1
to attempt or execute a bunt in baseball: to deliberately tap the ball lightly to advance a runner or to get on base.
She chose to bunt and successfully moved the runner over.
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Verb 2
to infect or cause the disease called bunt in cereal crops (rarely used).
The blight had bunted several fields by midsummer.
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Last updated: 2025/10/21 04:33