innings

Everyday

1. In cricket, an innings is a team's turn to bat, or one player's turn at batting. tree →
2. In baseball (US, Canada) an inning is one of the nine parts of the game in which both teams bat once. tree →
3. (informal, UK, Australia) Having a good innings means having had a long life or a long time doing something. tree →

In the lessons

In cricket and baseball, scores are counted per innings; children add runs to find totals. In everyday talk about old people: "He had a good innings" (gently said after someone dies at an old age). Phrases: first innings, second innings, a good innings, top of the inning.

Examples

• England scored 300 runs in their first innings. tree →
• He made 45 runs in his innings. tree →
• The game is in the ninth inning. tree →
• Each team has two innings in a test match. tree →
• Grandad lived to 95; he had a good innings. tree →
• Our team scored 4 runs in the third inning. tree →
• The innings ended when the tenth batter was out. tree →
• Add the runs from both innings to get the total. tree →

Note

In cricket, "innings" is both singular and plural: "an innings", "two innings". In baseball, singular "inning", plural "innings". "A good innings" is a gentle euphemism about a long life.