# baseball

/ˈbeɪsˈbɔɫ/ (US) · /bˈeɪsbɔːl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/baseball
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. the sport

noun · CEFR A2

a game played by two teams of nine players who use a bat to hit a ball and run around four bases.

For teachers: 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.

- 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.

### 2. the ball

noun · CEFR A2

the small, hard, white ball used in the game of baseball.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. poker variant

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · American English

a type of poker game where certain cards, like 3s and 9s, have special rules.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- We are going to watch a baseball game this afternoon.
- The pitcher threw the ball so fast that the batter could not hit it during the final inning of the baseball game.
- While cricket remains dominant in many former British colonies, baseball has become a cultural cornerstone in nations like Japan and the Dominican Republic, where local leagues draw massive crowds.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.