bullpen
/ˈbʊlpen/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈʊlpˌɛn] /ˈbʊlpen/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈʊlpˌɛn] /ˈbu̇l-ˌpen How to pronounce bullpen (audio) also ˈbəl-/ (ame, mw)
bullpen — noun
- bullpensingular
- bullpensplural
1. the area beside the field where a team's extra pitchers throw before they are se
the area beside the field where a team's extra pitchers throw before they are sent into the game
Before the ninth inning, Caleb jogged to the bullpen and started throwing fastballs.
pattern: go to the bullpen
A coach watched from the rail while two pitchers warmed up in the bullpen.
When the starter hurt his shoulder, Hassan was called from the bullpen.
Fans near the bullpen cheered each time Amelia's pitch hit the catcher's glove.
- warm-up area
general phrase and not specific to baseball
- pitching area
descriptive phrase for the space, not the team's relief unit
文法句型
in the bullpen
go to the bullpen
called from the bullpen
用法筆記
This sense names the place where pitchers get ready, not the players themselves. Distinguish it from sense 2, which refers to the relief pitchers as a group.
2. the group of pitchers a team keeps ready to replace the starting pitcher during
the group of pitchers a team keeps ready to replace the starting pitcher during a game
By August, the bullpen had saved several games after the starters tired early.
pattern: the bullpen had saved
The manager trusted the bullpen more than the struggling starting rotation.
After two injuries, the team's bullpen was full of rookies from Triple-A.
A deep bullpen lets a team protect a small lead late in games.
- relievers
plain everyday label for the individual pitchers
- relief corps
sports-writing term for the whole group
- relief staff
broader phrase for the team's non-starting pitchers
文法句型
the bullpen was ...
deep bullpen
trust the bullpen
用法筆記
This sense refers to the relief staff as a unit. Use sense 1 when you mean the fenced warm-up place beside the field.
3. a big shared workspace where many staff sit together in one room instead of sepa
a big shared workspace where many staff sit together in one room instead of separate offices
The new bullpen has long tables, shared screens, and no private walls.
shared workspace layout
Shirin moved from a corner room into the sales bullpen beside the printers.
pattern: sales bullpen
Phone calls from the bullpen carried across the floor all afternoon.
Because the bullpen was so noisy, Eli booked a small meeting room.
- open-plan office
more neutral term for the same physical layout
- shared workspace
broader phrase that can cover non-office settings too
文法句型
the sales bullpen
in the bullpen
move into the bullpen
用法筆記
Usually informal office language in American English. It suggests an open-plan section full of desks, not the whole company or the private office of one person.
4. a fenced area on a farm where bulls are kept
a fenced area on a farm where bulls are kept
The farmhands pushed the angry bull back into the bullpen before feeding time.
pattern: back into the bullpen
A broken gate left one side of the bullpen open overnight.
Ravindra checked the water trough beside the bullpen at sunrise.
Visitors stood well back when the rancher cleaned mud from the bullpen.
文法句型
in the bullpen
back into the bullpen
beside the bullpen
用法筆記
This is the literal farm meaning behind the word. In modern use, many learners meet the baseball or courthouse senses first.
5. a cell where people under arrest wait before they are taken into court
a cell where people under arrest wait before they are taken into court
After the arrest, officers kept Tomas in the bullpen until court opened.
pattern: kept in the bullpen
Three men waited in the bullpen while the judge finished another case.
A guard brought water to the bullpen before the afternoon trials began.
From the hallway, Antonia heard loud voices coming from the courthouse bullpen.
- holding cell
the plain modern term for a temporary detention room
- lockup
more informal and can refer to a police station cell
- detention cell
broader term that does not specifically suggest a courthouse
文法句型
in the bullpen
from the bullpen
courthouse bullpen
用法筆記
Mainly an American legal or news term. It means the temporary room near the courtroom, not a long-term prison cell.