: a baseball pitch that moves away from a straight path in a direction opposite to a curve informal : a foolish or odd person Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about screwball Love words? Need even more definitions? Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Screwball comedies are a genre of comedy that emerged in the 1930s and became popular in the 1930s and 1940s. They are characterized by their fast-paced, witty dialogue, farcical situations, and romantic storylines that often involve a battle of the sexes. What are Some Tropes of the Screwball Comedy?

In throwing the screwball, the pitcher snaps his wrist in a manner that causes his palm to face away from his glove side. This is in stark contrast to sliders and curveballs, for which a pitcher snaps his wrist so that the palm is facing the glove side.

The origins of the screwball are very difficult to trace, as it was considered to simply be a different version of a curveball in its early years. Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell, who used the screwball to rejuvenate his career, brought notoriety to the pitch. Héctor Santiago and Brent Honeywell are two of the more recent pitchers to throw a screwball.