home plate

American  

noun

Baseball.

home plates plural

1. the base at which the batter stands and which a base runner must reach safely in order to score a run, typically a five-sided slab of whitened rubber set at ground level at the front corner of the diamond.

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home plate British  

noun

1. Also called: plate.   home.   home base.  baseball a flat often five-sided piece of hard rubber or other material that serves to define the area over which the pitcher must throw the ball for a strike and that a base runner must safely reach on his way from third base to score a run

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• home plates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of home plate

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

home plate

After putting down the tag, and spotting the home plate umpire’s safe motion, Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing immediately pointed to the Dodgers’ dugout, urging manager Dave Roberts to challenge the call.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

But, in a full count, home plate umpire Cory Blaser called it strike three.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

Rojas tripped getting out of the batter’s box in the second inning, slid hard into home plate in the fifth inning, and was hit as he took a throw at second in the sixth.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026

On Tuesday, cameras caught Rushing muttering something after looking back at the Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee, who was in discomfort after an awkward slide at home plate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

I think about him standing at home plate and giving Dusty Baker that very first high five.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner