hat trick

/ˌhæt ˌˈtrɪk/

/hæt trɪk/

A hat trick is three scores in a row or in the same game. It's most commonly used in hockey for when a player gets three goals in a single game.

This term originally applied to the retiring of three batsmen with three consecutive balls by a bowler in cricket. This achievement was rewarded with a hat, thus the name. From there, it spread to other sports, especially hockey, where a hat trick means one player has scored three goals in a game. The word is also used loosely for any accomplishment that has three parts. An actor who wins three Oscars has scored a hat trick of sorts.

Definitions of hat trick

1. noun

   (sports) three consecutive scores by one player or three scores in one game (as in cricket or ice hockey etc.)
   type of:

   score

   the act of scoring in a game or sport