umpire

Meanings

Noun

• The official who presides over a tennis game sat on a high chair.
• One of the two white-coated officials who preside over a cricket match.
• One of usually 4 officials who preside over a baseball game.
• The official who stands behind the line on the defensive side.
• A match official on the ground deciding and enforcing the rules during play. As of 2007 the Australian Football League uses 3, or in the past 2 or just 1. The other officials, the goal umpires and boundary umpires, are normally not called just umpires alone.
• A person who arbitrates between contending parties.
• The official who presides over a curling game.

Verb

• To act as an umpire in a game.
• To decide as an umpire.

Origin

• From a Middle English rebracketing of noumpere, from Old French nonper, from non + per, from Latin par.