no-hit
UK[ˌnəʊ ˈhɪt]US[ˌnoʊ ˈhɪt]
adj
Describing a baseball game in which a pitcher or pitching team allows no hits to the opposing team.
n
A baseball game in which a pitcher or pitching team allows no hits to the opposing team.
Morpheme Breakdown
no
hit
no
negation
hit
strike
Etymology
The compound "no-hit" is a modern American English formation specific to the sport of baseball. It transparently combines the universal negative "no" with the noun "hit", a core term in baseball statistics denoting a batted ball allowing the batter to reach base safely. The term's logic is entirely literal, directly describing the absence of such events. Its evolution is not rooted in classical languages but in the 20th-century jargon of baseball, where it became a standardized statistical and descriptive category, elevating a simple descriptive phrase into a formal term for a significant athletic achievement.
Analysis
Structure: no (negation) + hit (strike)
- no: From Old English "nā", a compound of "ne" (not) + "ā" (ever). Functions as a negative particle.
- hit: From Old English "hittan" (to meet with, come upon, fall in with). Functions as a noun/verb root meaning a successful strike or blow.
Examples
The pitcher was thrilled after throwing a complete game no-hit.
The team celebrated their first combined no-hit in franchise history.
He came close to a no-hit bid, which was broken up in the eighth inning.