baseball

American  

[beys-bawl] / ˈbeɪsˌbɔl /

noun

• baseballs
  plural

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• baseballs
  plural

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

See Examples For:

baseball baseballs

But he persisted, ultimately writing his thesis on baseball in the U.S. and Japan from an anthropological perspective.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Shane Wendler and John Sullivan posed for a photo at Servite’s baseball diamond.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

At Central High, I excelled in basketball and baseball, earning all-city honors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The event started at 10 a.m., and the first 75 participants got a pair of tickets to a Los Angeles Angels baseball game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

And the “National Anthem”—I try to sing it at baseball games; it’s not my fault my voice doesn’t go that high.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The collection also will include baseballs, bats and a limited run of Topps trading cards that promise to feature KAWS’ interpretation of Dodgers and Yankees iconography.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Babe Ruth once visited the Toledo Blade headquarters, tossing signed baseballs from a balcony to adoring crowds below.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026

The baseballs got top billing in the wide-ranging auction that included 579 items, but a Lou Gehrig game-worn jersey sold for well more than the three balls combined.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2025

“As a kid, I was just throwing things — baseballs, rocks, tennis balls, footballs,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2025

“Nope. But if the baseballs come flying over the prison wall, you get to keep ’em.”

From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko