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

Through a partnership with GameChanger, five cameras have been installed behind home plate on fields from Shetland through Pony divisions. —Stephanie Ogilvie, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026

While the width of the strike zone remains unchanged at 17 inches over home plate, the height will vary by player. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2026

In the main corridor of the Rockies complex at Salt River Fields, a large photo is displayed showing Mabel reaching her tiny hand through the netting behind home plate to shake the 6-6 McGregor’s giant paw. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 1 Mar. 2026

Think mid-game dance breaks, a twist on the fastball (yes, the baseballs are on fire), even the umpire cutting a rug behind home plate. —Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for home plate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

home plate

noun

: the base where a baseball batter stands and which a base runner must touch in order to score