hit-and-run
UK[ˌhɪt ən ˈrʌn]US[ˌhɪt ən ˈrʌn]
adj
describing a traffic accident in which the driver responsible does not stop to help or provide their details
n
a traffic accident of this kind
n
(in sports, especially baseball) a play in which a base runner starts to run as the pitcher begins the delivery, and the batter must try to hit the ball
Etymology
the phrase "hit-and-run" originated in early 20th-century american english, specifically within the context of the newly emerging automobile culture. it is a vivid, colloquial compound that directly describes the criminal act: to "hit" someone or something with a vehicle and then "run" away from the scene. its logic is purely descriptive and narrative, capturing the sequence of events in the crime. this straightforward, action-based terminology proved highly effective and was later adopted into sports jargon, particularly baseball, to describe a tactical play where the runner's action forces the batter to swing, metaphorically mirroring the sudden, committed action of the original phrase.
Analysis
this is a fixed compound phrase formed from three common english words. 'hit' (from old english 'hyttan', meaning to meet with, strike), 'and' (a conjunction from old english), and 'run' (from old english 'rinnan', 'irnan', meaning to flow, run). the phrase functions as a single lexical unit.
Examples
the police are searching for the driver involved in a hit-and-run accident last night.
he was charged with leaving the scene of a hit-and-run.
the team successfully executed a hit-and-run to advance the runner from first to third base.