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

Kotsay said that lefty-masher Joey Meneses, who was called up earlier Friday, and backup catcher Jonah Heim will play first base for the A’s while Kurtz is out. — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2026

Tatis slid safely into the bag, and the relay to first base was not in time to get Merrill. — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026

Zawadzki, the North Stars’ pitching and first base standout, reopened her recruiting last September after originally committing to Ole Miss of the SEC. — Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

Their best scoring opportunity otherwise was in the top of the third, when Kay hit Brett Harris with a pitch to lead off the inning and Connor Wong barely beat the White Sox starter to first base to reach with a single. — Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026

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