Bunter

Bunter is a term with multiple meanings in English, most notably in sports and geology.

In baseball and softball, a bunter is a batter who chooses to bunt rather than swing away. A bunt is a controlled tap or push of the ball into fair territory, typically used to advance baserunners or to surprise the defense. Bunting requires precise contact and speed, and players who specialize in it are called bunters. Common bunt variants include the sacrifice bunt, which aims to advance runners at the cost of the batter’s out, and the drag bunt, which seeks to reach base by placing the ball in front of the plate.

In geology, Bunter (or Bunter Sandstone) refers to a stratigraphic unit of the Lower Triassic in Central Europe. It forms part of the Buntsandstein and is named for its colored sandstone beds. The rocks were deposited in fluvial and deltaic environments and typically display red to yellow hues. The Bunter’s thickness and extent vary regionally, and it has been quarried for building stone in several countries. In regional stratigraphy, it lies within a broader sequence that records a shift from Permian to Triassic sedimentation, with the Bunter representing the lower portion of the formation in many areas.

The term Bunter thus covers both a specific playing style in bat-and-ball games and a distinct geological formation, reflecting its distinct cultural and scientific uses.