baseball

IPA/ˈbeɪsbɔːl/
KK[bˈesbˈɔl]IPA/ˈbeɪsbɔːl/

baseball — noun

  • baseballsingular
  • baseballsplural

1. a sport, especially popular in the United States and Japan, in which two nine-pe

1.nounA1
Definition

a sport, especially popular in the United States and Japan, in which two nine-person teams take turns swinging a long wooden or metal stick to hit a small ball, and then running between four corners of a diamond-shaped area to score points called runs.

Example

Diego has played baseball for his school team since he was eight.

play baseball

On Sunday afternoons, Grandpa watches baseball on TV with a bowl of peanuts.

watch baseball

Common collocations
  • play baseball
  • watch baseball
  • professional baseball
  • baseball game
  • baseball team

Grammar Patterns

play baseball

watch baseball

Usage Note

Uncountable when it names the sport itself; do not use 'a' or 'the' before it (✗ a baseball ✓ baseball). For the object you hit, use sense 2.

Common Mistakes

I play the baseball every weekend.
I play baseball every weekend.
sport names take no article after 'play'.
My brother is good at a baseball.
My brother is good at baseball.
uncountable when referring to the sport.

2. the small, hard, white ball, usually stitched in red, that players throw, hit, a

2.nounA2
Definition

the small, hard, white ball, usually stitched in red, that players throw, hit, and catch in the sport of baseball.

Example

Aiko signed the baseball and gave it to her nephew as a birthday gift.

countable: 'a baseball' / 'the baseball'

The dog ran into the garden and brought back a muddy baseball.

Common collocations
  • throw a baseball
  • catch a baseball
  • hit a baseball
  • sign a baseball
  • a leather baseball
Synonyms
  • ball

    general term; 'baseball' is more specific to this sport's ball

Grammar Patterns

throw a baseball

catch a baseball

Usage Note

Countable in this sense, unlike sense 1. The plural 'baseballs' is normal: 'a bag of baseballs'. If you mean the sport, drop the article.

Common Mistakes

He bought baseball at the store.
He bought a baseball at the store.
countable: needs an article or plural form.
Idioms

inside baseball

idiom

small, technical details about a subject that mainly interest specialists or insiders and bore most other people.

The senator's speech was full of inside baseball that confused ordinary voters.

Sorry for the inside baseball, but the new tax rule changes how we file form 8862.

Word family

  • baseballer
    nounC1
  • baseball player
    nounA2

Common collocations

Nouns

  • baseball game
  • baseball team
  • baseball player
  • baseball cap
  • baseball bat
  • baseball field
  • baseball season

Phrases

  • play baseball
  • watch baseball
  • love baseball
  • follow baseball

Prepositions

  • at baseball (be good at)
  • in baseball (in the world of baseball)

Etymology

English

Formed in English from 'base' + 'ball'. The word appears in print as early as the 1700s in Britain, where it referred to a children's bat-and-ball pastime. The modern American sport took shape in the mid-1800s and kept the older name, which simply describes the four 'bases' that runners must touch.