third base
Americannoun
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third bases
plural
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the third in counterclockwise order of the bases from home plate.
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the playing position of the fielder covering the area of the infield near this base.
Usage
What else does third base mean? Content warning: the following content includes references to sexual activity. The expression (getting or going to) third base is slang for sexual contact with genitals, especially when it happens for the first time between two people. The expression (being) born on third base refers to having advantages in life by virtue of being born into wealth and other privileges. How is third base pronounced?[ thurd beys ]What are some other words related to third base?first basesecond basehome runwhite privilege
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of third base
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When the Oakland Athletics released Max Muncy before the 2017 season, the then-26-year-old didn’t know if a baseball career was for him anymore, let alone a future at third base.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
I had a pretty good arm from playing third base as a kid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel’s philosophy when it came to his baseball-obsessed sons was straightforward: the major-league players they grew up around were their coaches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Though Muncy is in his 11th major-league season, and has played all around the infield for most of it, 2022 marked his first season making the majority of his appearances at third base.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
A lucky catch knocked out another Bandit, but Speedy managed to get to third base.
From "The Missing Mitt (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #2)" by Franklin W. Dixon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
