baseball

[beys-bawl]

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.

baseball

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• probaseball adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of baseball¹

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

Example Sentences

Each is about the size of a baseball.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The baseballs turned into fast cash for two Blue Jays fans and one Dodgers fan who secured their possession through good fortune and quick thinking.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Others stick to his signature pastel-powered color palette, sport loud patterned sweater vests or even wear a button-up with a tie and baseball cap — as an ode to his most frequent silhouette.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

And it was a key element in what is considered perhaps the greatest performance in baseball history.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In 2022, he was one of the top relievers in baseball, posting a 1.14 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 63 innings.

Read more on Los Angeles Times