baseball

American  

[beys-bawl] / ˈbeɪsˌbɔl /

noun

1. a game of ball between two nine-player teams played usually for nine innings on a field that has as a focal point a diamond-shaped infield with a home plate and three other bases, 90 feet (27 meters) apart, forming a circuit that must be completed by a base runner in order to score, the central offensive action entailing hitting of a pitched ball with a wooden or metal bat and running of the bases, the winner being the team scoring the most runs.

2. the ball used in this game, being a sphere approximately 3 inches (7 centimeters) in diameter with a twine-covered center of cork covered by stitched horsehide.

3. Cards. a variety of five-card or seven-card stud poker in which nines and threes are wild and in which threes and fours dealt face up gain the player either penalties or privileges.

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baseball British  

/ ˈbeɪsˌbɔːl /

noun

1. a team game with nine players on each side, played on a field with four bases connected to form a diamond. The object is to score runs by batting the ball and running round the bases

2. the hard rawhide-covered ball used in this game

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• probaseball
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of baseball

First recorded in 1795–1805; base ¹ + ball ¹

Explanation

Baseball is a game in which a player hits a ball with a bat and runs around the field, stepping on three bases before returning to where he started. Most baseball games last seven innings. During a typical baseball game, two teams of nine players each take turns being at bat while the other team stands in the field attempting to catch any balls that are hit and tag running players out before they are safe on a base. Though baseball was first played in 19th century England in the form of "rounders," it's been considered the US national sport since the early 20th century.

Example Sentences

There’s no crying in baseball, but Kim Ng works in softball now.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Complete coverage of The Times’ All-Star baseball and softball teams, from the players and coaches of the year to capsules on each player and the final 2026 rankings.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

He believes this took place at a baseball game in California in 1981 between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Today it has passed baseball and hockey to become the third-most popular sport in the U.S., according to a recent survey by the Economist.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

A woman in a baseball cap breezes in.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko