homerun
UK[ˈhəʊm rʌn]US[ˈhoʊm rʌn]
n
A hit in baseball that allows the batter to run around all the bases and score a run, typically by hitting the ball out of the playing field.
n
An instance of great success or a major achievement.
Morpheme Breakdown
home
run
home
run
Etymology
The term "homerun" is a transparent compound from American English, originating in the mid-19th century with the codification of modern baseball. It literally describes the batter's successful action: hitting the ball in such a way that they can complete a "run" around the bases to reach "home" plate safely on that single hit, without the possibility of being put out. The logic is purely descriptive of the play's mechanics. Its semantic extension to mean any outstanding success outside of sports leverages the metaphor of achieving a definitive, uncontested victory, much like scoring a run with a single, powerful action.
Analysis
Structure: home + run
- home: Old English 'hām', meaning a dwelling place, village, or one's own base. In this compound, it signifies the final destination or goal (home plate).
- run: Old English 'rinnan', 'iernan', meaning to move swiftly on foot. In this compound, it refers to the act of running the bases.
Examples
The rookie hit a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Her latest product launch was a real homerun for the company.
He celebrated his first major league homerun with his teammates.