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foul line

 - 2 dictionary results

foul line

–noun
1. Baseball. either of the two lines connecting home plate with first and third base respectively, or their continuations to the end of the outfield.
2. Also called free throw line. Basketball. a line on the court 15 ft. (4.6 m) from the backboard, from which foul shots are taken.
3. Bowling. a line on an alley at right angles to the gutters and 60 ft. (18.3 m) from the center of the spot for the headpin, across which a bowler may not step for fair delivery of the ball.

Origin:
1875–80, Americanism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To foul line
foul line  
n.  
  1. Baseball Either of two straight lines extending from the rear of home plate to the outer edge of the playing field and indicating the area in which a fair ball can be hit.

  2. Basketball A line 15 feet in front of each backboard from which players shoot foul shots. Also called free-throw line.

  3. Sports A boundary limiting the permissible movements of a player, as on a bowling alley or in a field event.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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