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

• probaseball adjective

Etymology

Origin of baseball

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

Example Sentences

It overruled the judge’s order invalidating UCLA’s lease of a portion of the VA grounds for its baseball stadium.

From Los Angeles Times

The inside baseball, or in this case, football, makes this Netflix series a fascinating watch for NFL fans, but pulling back the curtain on the gridiron gods’ humanity is where it shines.

From Los Angeles Times

“In addition to financial markets, sports contracts will be available across baseball, basketball, football, and hockey in states where online sports betting is not yet legal, except on tribal lands,” the release said.

From Barron's

For the younger crowd, it might be paired with jeans and a Polo baseball cap, its collar effortlessly flipped up.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bowden, formerly the general manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, serves as a baseball insider on several media platforms.

From Los Angeles Times