first base
noun
1
: the base that must be touched first by a base runner in baseball
a runner on first base
2
: the player position for defending the area around first base
hit a ground ball to first base
3
: the first step or stage in a course of action
Plans never got to first base.
4
slang
: amorous light touching or kissing
Unless the game has changed since I was a girl, first base was kissing …—Abigail Van Buren
—usually used in phrases like get to first base or reach first base"It's true!" Pamela said. "If they talk about getting to first base, it means they held hands with their girl. …"—Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
compare home base sense 3, second base sense 3, third base sense 3
Cite this Entry
“First base.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20base. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.
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