inning

noun

in·​ning ˈi-niŋ 

1

a

: a division of a baseball game consisting of a turn at bat for each team

also : a baseball team's turn at bat ending with the third out

b

innings ˈi-niŋz  plural in form but singular or plural in construction : a division of a cricket match

c

: a player's turn (as in horseshoes, pool, or croquet)

2

: a chance or opportunity for action or accomplishment

—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

that momentous innings which was to project him into world politics

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

Examples of inning in a Sentence

She hit a double in the fourth inning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Seventh inning soak There’s another perk for hotel guests, too. —Oliver Horovitz, Contributor, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2024

Late-game relievers are accustomed to only an inning of work. —Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024

The blunder not only allowed a run to score, but extended an inning that would eventually see the Dodgers erase a 5-0 deficit. —David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024

Then a turning point finally arrived in the top of the fifth inning. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

in entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1735, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing inning

• the seventh-inning stretch

Kids Definition

inning

noun

in·​ning ˈin-iŋ 

: a division of a baseball game consisting of a turn at bat for each team

also : a baseball team's turn at bat