home plate

noun

: a 5-sided rubber slab at one corner of a baseball diamond at which a batter stands when batting and which must be touched by a base runner in order to score

Examples of home plate in a Sentence

The runner was tagged out at home plate.
Recent Examples on the Web But in the short-term, American Family Field will have two new scoreboards and LED digital displays behind home plate beginning this year. Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024 In the math station, for instance, kids measure the length of bats and the distance between home plate and the pitchers’ mound. Katie Knight, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024 This was a roofed aerie atop the second deck that curled around the corner of the stadium where home plate stood in the summertime, a reminder that Briggs Stadium was built for baseball, not football — for Tigers, not Lions. Bill Morris, Detroit Free Press, 28 Jan. 2024 Bleachers are right behind home plate and constant catcalls can ring out toward an umpire. Stephen Borelli, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2024 The cowards cut the statue off at the ankles, leaving nothing but two shoes on a base the shape of home plate. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024 The tour includes visits to the field (behind home plate), home clubhouse, home batting cage area and Diamond Club, Promenade Level featuring the art in the facility, the bobblehead museum and the premium areas, including the suites. Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024 Liam also talks to his dad before games, chatting with him by home plate before Nick gets ready to hit the ball. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 17 Oct. 2023 Players from both teams left their respective benches and bullpens and convened between home plate and the pitcher’s mound before things were broken up. Tyler Mason, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'home plate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of home plate was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near home plate

Cite this Entry

“Home plate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/home%20plate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

home plate

noun
: the base where a baseball batter stands and which a base runner must touch in order to score

More from Merriam-Webster on home plate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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