What "strike" means in baseball

In baseball, "strike" refers to a pitch that a batter swings at and misses, a pitch that a batter doesn't swing at but the ball crosses the plate within the prescribed strike zone, or a foul ball that is not the third strike. Any pitch that doesn't meet these criteria is considered a ball. When a batter accumulates three strikes, they are out. If a pitcher achieves three strikes on a batter within a single plate appearance, it is commonly referred to as a "strikeout."