first base

noun

Baseball.��
1. the first in counterclockwise order of the bases from home plate.
2. the position of the player covering the area of the infield near first base.

first base

noun

baseball
1. the base that a runner must reach safely to score a hit, and the first of the three bases he must reach safely on the way to home plate in order to score a run
2. the fielding position nearest this base
informal��to accomplish the first step of an undertaking

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Word History and Origins

Origin of first base¹

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

get to first base,
1. to succeed in the initial phase of a plan or undertaking.
  His suggestions for labor-saving techniques never got to first base.
2. to engage in petting that goes no further than kissing.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

For the Yankees, it was the image that encapsulated an inning of extremely unfortunate events: Aaron Judge dropped a fly ball, Anthony Volpe committed a throwing error, Gerrit Cole did not cover first base.

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There also was right-fielder Dylan Johnson throwing out a Chatsworth runner who failed to get back to first base while thinking of stretching it into a double.

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His first batter, Hernández, hit a dribbler up the first-base line that Bummer initially fielded, but then dropped while trying to transfer the ball to his throwing hand for a flip to first base.

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Before first pitch Monday night, former Dodgers first base coach and first-year Miami Marlins manager Clayton McCullough received a warm welcome back to Dodger Stadium.

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Third baseman Max Muncy sailed a ball wide to first base after collecting a ground ball near the foul line, enabling Davis to advance to second.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

first and last first baseman

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