first base

noun

1

: the base that must be touched first by a base runner in baseball

2

: the player position for defending the area around first base

3

: the first step or stage in a course of action

plans never got to first base

first baseman

-ˈbā-smən 

noun

Examples of first base in a Sentence

a runner on first base

She hit a ground ball to first base.

He used to be a catcher, but now he plays first base.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cole initially broke toward first base to cover but inexplicably stopped between the mound and the bag, hanging Rizzo out to dry. —Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024

Tyler Wade – Veteran utility man played five different position for the A’s last season and expanded his range this season with the Padres, playing every position except pitcher, catcher and first base. —Laurence Miedema, The Mercury News, 1 Oct. 2024

The Astros tried to make a big splash before the trade deadline to solve their first base problem. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

One of the game’s most durable players, Garvey holds the National League record for playing 1,207 consecutive games at first base. —Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

first base

noun

: the base that must be touched first by a base runner in baseball

also : the position of the player defending the area around first base