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DictionaryblooperSoft baseball hit
noun

blooper

A softly hit baseball that lands just beyond the infielders.

The batter dropped a blooper into shallow right field.

Etymology
bloopEnglishimitative sound
+erEnglishthing that acts

Bloop is an imitative word for a short, low sound. Baseball uses blooper for a weakly hit ball that drops into a gap, extending the word to an unimpressive-looking but effective hit.

More examples

  • A lucky blooper brought the runner home.
  • The shortstop chased the blooper but could not reach it.
  • His only hit was a blooper just beyond the infield.

Forms

blooper · bloopers

Similar words

line drive
A line drive travels hard and fairly straight; a blooper is softly hit over the infield.
grounder
A grounder travels along or into the ground; a blooper drops from a short airborne arc.