ˌHail ˈMary pass (also ˌHail ˈMary play) noun [countable] American English

1. in American football, a long throw forward that you hope will be caught successfully, although it is unlikely, so that your team will score a point when you do not have much time to do this

2. an action you take that is unlikely to succeed, and which you only take because there is no other way of achieving something

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲