lead off

lead off (plural lead offs)

1. (baseball) The first batter in the batting order.

   Jones has been the team's lead off hitter for three years.

2. (baseball) The first batter of an inning.

   The lead off hitter for the sixth inning is Jones.

3. (baseball) The short distance that a player stands away from their current base.

lead off (third-person singular simple present leads off, present participle leading off, simple past and past participle led off)

1. Used other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see lead,‎ off.

   The kitchen and the lounge lead off from the hallway.

2. (baseball) To be the first batter of an inning.

   Jones led off the inning with a home run.

   Jones is leading off an inning for the third time in the game.

3. (by extension) To be the first of any set, especially the first person in a group to speak; to launch or begin something by speaking.

• offlead