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

The hard-throwing lefty dominated across 72 appearances (72.0 innings), notching a 1.75 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 84 punch-outs. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2024

Assuming Snell is able to reach his best years of 180 innings pitched, his income would work out to $200,000 per inning. —Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2024

In 2023, Boyd made 15 starts, and threw 71 innings for the Tigers. —Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

On that same note, his 5.38 walks per nine innings would’ve been the worst among all starters by a wide margin (Toronto’s Chris Bassitt led the league at 3.68). —Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 27 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