charity stripe

noun

variants or less commonly charity line

basketball, informal

: the line behind which a player shoots a free throw : the free throw line

Miller boasts a soft shooting touch, good range, and steadiness at the charity stripe.

—Mike Weber, Basketball Digest, March 1993

In the first half, the Warriors were 6 of 22 from the charity line, a percentage that could have been bettered by virtually anyone in the stands.

—Tony Cooper, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Dec. 2001

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

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