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

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

Even the man closest to the play, first base coach Clayton McCullough, could hardly believe it. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024

In the movie, fictional Athletics’ manager Art Howe refused to play Hatteberg, a walk-happy converted catcher, at first base even though that was the front office’s vision. —Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 21 Oct. 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