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

The 70-year-old Dombrowski has been working in baseball for nearly 50 years and is the oldest executive in the game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

The Hall of Fame outfielder discusses his “heroic” mom, being a multisport athlete and his statue at a childhood baseball field.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

Maybe Montreal does not get a team, or maybe Karbasfrooshan lands a billionaire who has someone else in mind to run baseball operations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

After major league owners and players reach a new collective bargaining agreement, probably sometime next year, baseball is expected to invite bids for two expansion teams.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Between briefings on Cuba, Kennedy slipped out to the lawn to toss a baseball.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

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 Dodgers rescued him from purgatory in Anaheim and surrounded him with a star-studded roster, and now he makes more money from pitching products than pitching baseballs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2025

Television cameras caught Kershaw laughing as his kids ran the bases, tried to throw baseballs at a hovering drone and enjoyed a diamond that had become their own personal childhood playground over the years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025

What he really wanted was the pint-size soccer balls, squishy baseballs, plastic bowling balls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2025

I see Autumn’s eyes as wide as baseballs as she continues to evade the troll’s attacks.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer