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

Do androids dream of electric balls and strikes—plus some other questions on baseball’s Opening Day.

From The Wall Street Journal

Are the Dodgers baseball’s version of a gold mine?

From Los Angeles Times

This is the golden age of baseball in Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times

At the heart of the dispute is a fundamental question that is essential to the health of any professional sports business: Is baseball fair?

From The Wall Street Journal

For the record, I like a lot of changes baseball’s made.

From The Wall Street Journal