noun
Common
innings
IHN-ihngz
Innings (noun) means In cricket, a team's or player's turn at batting, or the runs scored during it. Example: “The opening batter played a patient innings and saw off the new ball.”
noun
1
In cricket, a team's or player's turn at batting, or the runs scored during it.
"The opening batter played a patient innings and saw off the new ball."
"He scored a century in the first innings."
"England's innings ended after just two overs."
2
A period during which someone holds power, enjoys success, or has their turn.
"Our old head teacher had a long innings before finally stepping down."
"The band's innings at the top of the charts lasted barely a year."
"After a good innings as CEO, she decided it was time to retire."
How to use innings
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA team or player's turn at bat in cricket, or more loosely, a good spell or run of success.
UK vs US
Used for both singular and plural in cricket (British English); American English uses "inning" for baseball's singular round.
Common pairings
a good innings
batting innings
declare an innings
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Word forms
- Plural
- inningses
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The opening batter played a patient _____ and saw off the new ball.
Etymology
Originally the plural of inn used as a verb meaning "to house corn," later extended to mean a turn or spell.
Related words
Rhymes for innings
See all rhymes for innings →Frequently asked questions
What does “innings” mean?
The word “innings” means in cricket, a team's or player's turn at batting, or the runs scored during it. In plain terms, a team or player's turn at bat in cricket, or more loosely, a good spell or run of success.
How do you pronounce “innings”?
“Innings” is pronounced IHN-ihngz (/ˈɪn.ɪŋz/ in IPA).
How do you use “innings” in a sentence?
Here is “innings” used in a sentence: “He scored a century in the first innings.”
What part of speech is “innings”?
“Innings” is a noun.
Is “innings” a common word?
“Innings” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “innings” have?
“Innings” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: in cricket, a team's or player's turn at batting, or the runs scored during it.
What is the difference between inning and innings?
Baseball uses inning as the singular and innings as the plural, while cricket uses innings for both singular and plural, so a single turn at batting in cricket is "an innings." Saying "an inning" in cricket, or "an innings" in baseball, marks you as unfamiliar with that sport's usage.
Is innings singular or plural?
In cricket, innings works as both: you can say "a fine innings" (singular) and "two innings" (plural). In baseball, the singular is inning, and innings is only the plural.
Can innings be used outside sport?
Yes. Figuratively, an innings is any period during which someone holds power, enjoys success, or has their turn, as in "the outgoing chair had a long innings." This figurative use is far more common in British English than in American English.
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