Word
baseball
Phoneticsbase·ball, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbeɪsˈbɔɫ/
UK/bˈeɪsbɔːl/
Definitions
01the sport
A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun Sports
n. a game played by two teams of nine players who use a bat to hit a ball and run around four bases.
n. a team sport played with a bat and ball on a field with four bases arranged in a diamond; the objective is to score runs by circling the bases.
日本語:野球※
“We went to the stadium to watch a professional baseball game on Saturday afternoon.”
“Baseball remains a significant cultural pastime in North America and East Asia, characterized by its strategic depth and lack of a timed clock.”
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun when referring to the sport itself.
02the ball
A2 · Elementary Countable noun Sports
n. the small, hard, white ball used in the game of baseball.
n. the specific ball used in the sport, typically featuring a cork or rubber core wound with yarn and covered in white leather with red stitching.
“The pitcher threw the baseball so fast that the batter couldn't see it.”
“The collector paid a significant sum for a baseball signed by the entire 1927 championship team.”
Usage
A countable noun when referring to the physical object.
03poker variant
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Informal · American English
n. a type of poker game where certain cards, like 3s and 9s, have special rules.
n. a variant of dealer's choice poker in which cards with values corresponding to baseball terms, such as threes and nines, serve as wild cards or trigger extra actions.
“During our weekly card game, Mike decided to deal a round of baseball.”
“The players grew frustrated with the complexity of baseball, preferring a more traditional game of Texas Hold'em.”
Teaching tip
This is a niche card game term; most English speakers will only know the sport-related senses.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “baseball” in context.
Etymology
From base + ball.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
01. inside baseball
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/baseball
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0