first base

noun

1. Baseball.

   1. the first in counterclockwise order of the bases from home plate.

   2. the position of the player covering the area of the infield near first base.

first base

noun

1. baseball

   1. the base that a runner must reach safely to score a hit, and the first of the three bases he must reach safely on the way to home plate in order to score a run

   2. the fielding position nearest this base

2. informal,  to accomplish the first step of an undertaking

Word History and Origins

Origin of first base¹

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. get to first base,

   1. to succeed in the initial phase of a plan or undertaking.

      His suggestions for labor-saving techniques never got to first base.

   2. to engage in petting that goes no further than kissing.

Example Sentences

Kerkerking bent over in immediate regret, as the Dodgers came pouring out of the dugout to mob Pages near first base.

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He was making a commitment to another role that came with far more pressure than simply hitting home runs and handling first base: becoming the face of baseball for an entire country.

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Instead, he hit the game-winning home run, nearly levitated around first base, and became an October hero yet again.

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It was aided by a throwing error from Stewart at first base, allowing Rortvedt to reach safely and put runners on the corners.

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Snell’s outing was a grind from the start, with Rushing misfiring to first base for an error in the first inning and Betts reacting slowly to a ground ball at shortstop to extend the second.

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