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

Jake McCarthy walked halfway down the first base line, watching his moonshot as the ball flew. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 May 2026

Brock led off the seventh with a single but Millikan sophomore Jade Torres stranded the tying run at first base to seal the Rams a 4-3 victory at Fullerton High in a clash of league champions preparing for the CIF-SS playoffs. —Dan Albano, Oc Register, 7 May 2026

So France, who finished yesterday’s game at first base, was the backup catcher. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026

Even as home-plate umpire Adam Beck directed Story toward first base, Red Sox players leaped out of the dugout. —Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 May 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