different between softball vs fastball

English

Etymology

1926: soft +? ball. Compare hardball.

Noun

softball (countable and uncountable, plural softballs)

1. A game similar to baseball but played with a larger and softer ball which can be thrown overhand or underhand.
2. The ball used to play the sport.
3. (by analogy) A question designed to be easy to answer.

Synonyms

• diamond ball
• indoor baseball
• kitten ball
• mush ball
• pumpkin ball
• town ball

Translations

See also

• baseball
• hardball
• rounders

Finnish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English softball.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?softbo?l/, [?s?o?ft?bo??l]
• Syllabification: soft?ball

Noun

softball

1. softball

Declension

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• softbol

Etymology

From English softball.

Noun

softball m (uncountable)

1. softball (a sport similar to baseball)

Spanish

Etymology

From English softball.

Noun

softball m (uncountable)

1. softball

English

Etymology

fast + ball

Noun

fastball (plural fastballs)

1. (baseball) Any of the variations of high speed pitches thrown in baseball
2. (baseball) A four-seam fastball, which is a backspin pitch thrown with a ball gripped in the direction to cause four of the seams of the ball to cross the flight path and released with roughly equal pressure by the index and middle fingers

   The pitcher had a blazing fastball.

Synonyms

• hummer (slang)
• cheese (slang)
• heat (slang)
• gas (slang)
• Linda Ronstadt (slang)

1. • 1986 May 1, "Talkin' Baseball . . . The Can of Corn Is Back on the Shelf," Los Angeles Times:

     A couple of players told me that they refer to a situation in which the batter is badly overmatched by a fastball as a Linda Ronstadt... That refers to Ronstadt's million-selling remake of Roy Orbison's hit song, "Blue Bayou" (blew by you).

See also

• curveball
• slider
• cut fastball
• two-seam fastball
• split-finger fastball
• sinker
• screwball
• knuckleball
• gyroball
• spitball
• change-up
• Bugs Bunny change-up

Anagrams

• fat balls