one-out
UK[wʌn ˈaʊt]US[wʌn ˈaʊt]
n
A situation in baseball where a batter is retired, leaving only one out remaining in the inning.
n
A strategy or play in various games, especially baseball, designed to achieve a single out.
Morpheme Breakdown
one
out
one
numeral
out
adverb/preposition
Etymology
The compound "one-out" is a modern formation specific to the jargon of baseball, originating in the late 19th or early 20th century. It transparently combines the numeral "one," from the Proto-Germanic ainaz, with the directional particle "out," from Proto-Germanic ūt. The logic is purely descriptive, referring to the specific game state where a single "out" remains to be recorded. This compound exemplifies how English readily creates precise technical terms by combining simple, native elements to denote a specific situational count within a rule-based system.
Analysis
Structure: one (numeral) + out (adverb/preposition)
- one: From Old English 'ān', meaning "one, a single". It is a numeral root.
- out: From Old English 'ūt', meaning "out, outside, away". It functions as an adverbial particle.
Examples
The pitcher focused on getting the one-out needed to end the inning.
It was a clever one-out strategy to prevent the tying run from scoring.
With a runner on third and only a one-out situation, the infield played in.