first base


noun
  1. Baseball.

    • the first in counterclockwise order of the bases from home plate.

    • the position of the player covering the area of the infield near first base.

Idioms about first base

  1. get to first base, Informal.

    • to succeed in the initial phase of a plan or undertaking: His suggestions for labor-saving techniques never got to first base.

    • to engage in petting that goes no further than kissing.

Origin of first base

1
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for first base

first base

noun
  1. baseball

    • the base that a runner must reach safely to score a hit, and the first of the three bases he must reach safely on the way to home plate in order to score a run

    • the fielding position nearest this base

  2. get to first base informal, mainly US and Canadian to accomplish the first step of an undertaking

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012