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

That ball off the bat of Gabriel Arias bounced toward first base and brought Ramirez home. —Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025

Then Skubal committed a balk, allowing Ramirez a free bag, a groundout to first base scored Ramirez to give Cleveland a 3-2 lead heading into the seventh inning. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025

Beginning in the 2027 season, a double first base will be required in high school baseball games to minimize the risk of collisions by runners and fielders. —John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Sep. 2025

Along with catching, Rodriguez has played first base, second base, third base and left field to get his bat in the lineup. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for first base

• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace
• blackface
• boldface
• bookcase
• braincase
• briefcase
• carcase

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