1. [uncountable] an outdoor game between two teams of nine players, in which players try to get points by hitting a ball and running around four ↑bases 2. [countable] the ball used in baseball
1.uncountable a game played especially in the US by two teams of nine players, using a bat and ball. Each player tries to hit the ball and then run around four bases before the other team can return the ball • a baseball bat/team/stadium • a pair of baseball boots
compare rounders
2.countable the ball used in this game Culture: baseball
America’s national sport, played mainly by men, which developed in the 19th century from the British games rounders and cricket. It is a popular sport to play and watch, with many families going to watch baseball games on a Sunday afternoon. Baseball has become an important part of US culture with many baseball terms becoming part of the language and it is the subject of songs, novels and films. Baseball shirts and caps have also become fashionable in many countries.
Baseball is played with long wooden bats and a small, hard ball, by two teams of nine players each. The infield has three bases (= bags filled with sand) and a home plate arranged in a diamond. The pitcher, who throws the ball to the batter, stands in the centre of the diamond. Each game lasts nine innings and in each inning the visiting team is first to bat (= hit the ball) while the home team plays defense. Players bat in turn but when a team has three outs it must let the other side bat. If a batter hits the ball and it is not caught in the air for an out, he runs to first base. If the ball is thrown to first base before he gets there, he is out and if not, he then tries to run to second base, third base and back to home for a run while other players bat. The team that scores the most runs is the winner.
Major League Baseball is organized into the American League and the National League and the season lasts from April to October. At the end of the season, the four best teams in each league play to decide which two teams will go forward to the World Series. Well-known teams include New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, the Cleveland Indians, the Detroit Tigers, the Chicago Cubs, the St Louis Cardinals, the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
baseball /ˈbeɪs.bɔːl/ US /-bɑːl/
noun [C or U]
(the ball used in) a game played especially in North America by two teams of nine players, in which a player hits a ball with a bat and tries to run around four bases on a large field before the other team returns the ball:
Jake never played baseball like the other kids.
He had a baseball and a couple of bats in his sports bag.
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
In America, baseball is a game played by two teams of nine players. Each player from one team hits a ball with a bat and then tries to run around three bases and get to the home base before the other team can get the ball back. N-UNCOUNT
2.
A baseball is a small hard ball which is used in the game of baseball. N-COUNT
