different between shortstop vs backstop

English

Etymology

short +? stop

Noun

shortstop (plural shortstops)

1. (baseball) The infield defensive player that stands between the second baseman and the third baseman.

   The shortstop ranged deep into the hole to make the stop.

2. (figuratively) A nimble defender.

   I'll play shortstop when we make our proposal.

3. (gambling) A player who is short of money.
   • 1981, Sam Grafstein, Dice Doctor

     The shortstops and desperados were not permitted to play in this marker crap game.

Translations

See also

• catcher
• pitcher
• first baseman
• second baseman
• third baseman
• infielder
• outfielder

Anagrams

• stop short

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English shortstop.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???t.st?p/

Noun

shortstop m (plural shortstops)

1. (baseball) shortstop

Further reading

• “shortstop” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English shortstop.

Noun

shortstop m (plural shortstops)

1. (baseball) shortstop

English

Alternative forms

• back-stop

Etymology

back +? stop

Pronunciation

Noun

backstop (plural backstops)

1. A thing or a person put in the rear or in the back of something to reinforce, hold, support.
2. A default arrangement that holds if all else fails.
   • The Express, 7 June 2018

     Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar, this morning, said a time-limited backstop would be unacceptable, and has previously promised to vote down the UK’s Brexit withdrawal deal unless it features a satisfactory backstop.

   • The Irish Times, 17 November 2018

     "The 2½ years since have been about hammering home these points in any European capital that would listen. And in spite of capacity-sapping talks on the first point – Brexit, border and backstop – the Department of Foreign Affairs and other government departments have been working quietly to make good on the second.

3. (baseball) A wall or fence behind home plate.
4. (baseball slang) A catcher; the position of catcher.
5. (rounders) The player who stands immediately behind the striking base.
6. (cricket, dated) The longstop.
7. (cricket, dated) The wicket-keeper.
8. (espionage) Something serving to bolster or support a cover story etc.
   • 1976, Joseph Burkholder Smith, Portrait of a Cold Warrior (page 116)

     […] to be set up in Indonesia with a phony book and school supplies company established in New York City as a backstop.

   • 1990, Bruce W. Watson, Susan M. Watson, Gerald W. Hopple, United States intelligence: an encyclopedia (page 1974)

     Closely representing an alibi, creating a backstop could involve such measures as having people available to verify the details of an agent's cover story.

Coordinate terms

• (thing or a person to support): rearguard

Translations

Verb

backstop (third-person singular simple present backstops, present participle backstopping, simple past and past participle backstopped)

1. (transitive) To serve as backstop for.
2. (transitive) To bolster, support.

Translations

Anagrams

• back post, backpost, postback