inning
An inning is a period of play in baseball when one team gets to bat and the other team has to field.
When we talk about sports, especially baseball, an inning is like a small chapter in the game. It's a chance for one team to get up to bat and try to score some runs against the opposing team. If they do well, they might even get ahead and win the game! Inning numbers are usually shown on a scoreboard, with each team taking turns playing offense (batting) and defense (fielding). You might hear someone say "the home team is up in the 7th inning" meaning they're halfway through their chances to score.
How common is "inning"?
It appears most frequently in newspaper texts and less often in other writings.
noun
(baseball) A period of play in which members of a visiting baseball team attempt to hit a baseball pitched by the opposing home team until three players are called out, followed by a similar attempt by members of the home baseball team against the visiting team's pitching. There are nine or more innings in a regulation baseball game.
Example: It is a baseball tradition to sing "Take Me Out To the Ball Game" during the seventh inning stretch.
Real examples of "inning" in context
