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

noun

• 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

The National Hockey League has a joint partnership with both prediction markets, but Polymarket has locked in exclusive deals with the U.S.’s Major League Baseball and Ultimate Fighting Championship.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

But the soccer tournament has driven fewer bookings than the World Baseball Classic held in the city earlier this year, Bortz said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

And he only had four years of Nippon Professional Baseball experience before deciding to leave Japan, posting early and signing as an international amateur free agent last year, as Shohei Ohtani did in 2017.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

There is the typed text of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 speech, "I Have a Dream," and a jersey worn by Roberto Clemente, the first Latino to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Baseball was the game and the thing to come and see.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson