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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As Brewers catcher William Contreras trotted around the bases after hitting a home run during the seventh inning, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez, distraught, repeatedly slapped his chest protector in anger behind home plate. Will Sammon, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025 Gomber, visibly upset by home plate umpire Brian Walsh’s erratic strike zone, walked three. Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2025 Back in the leadoff spot, Shohei Ohtani dribbled a ball onto the grass in front of home plate and beat it out for an infield single. Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025 Leading the Red Sox by five runs in the top of the fifth, the Phillies should have gotten out of the inning unscathed when Rob Refsnyder hit a sky high pop-up behind home plate for what would have been the third out of the inning. Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for home plate

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Home plate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/home%20plate. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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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