shortstop

noun

1. 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.”

   ““Your father was the best baseball player anyone had ever seen.” Excited but halting, her voice ran on past all obstacles. “We watched him play shortstop, and my father said he was the best, and my brothers too. The Cardinals sent a man down to talk to him about one of their teams.” Like an ancient marineress, she would not let go. She meant the St. Louis Cardinals’ farm teams.”

   “Cam Smith bounced to shortstop on a 100 mph fastball, and Jacob Melton also grounded out on an 86.9 mph curveball.”

2. (figuratively)A nimble defender.

   “I'll play shortstop when we make our proposal.”

3. A player who is short of money.

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

verb

1. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of short-stop (to play shortstop).

   “He captained the Tecumsehs of London, Ontario, (International Association) in 1878; shortstopped for Cincinnati in 1879; stayed out of baseball in 1880; and finished as shortstop for Boston (NL) in 1881.”

   “Managed and shortstopped by George Wright and full of league stalwarts—Joe Start, Paul Hines, and Jim O'rourke—they also had 1-year-old phenom Monte Ward as primary moundsman (teams now generally used multiple pitchers).”

   “He shortstopped for a few years for the Houston Astros when they won the World Series twice in a row.”

2. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of short-stop (to cause to stop short).

   “They will be shortstopped in the port for lease by the government, then continue their journey by military train.”

   “In the polymerization of BD by Ti-, Co- and Ni-based catalyst systems the polymerization has to be shortstopped at a specific monomer conversion in order to avoid the formation of gel.”

   “Although he successfully shortstopped the assault on his two teammates, the enemy soldiers now concentrated their fire directly on him.”