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Glite Dictionary
first baseman

first baseman

18 3.6
A player at first base who catches throws to get runners out
  • noun
  • /ˈfɜrst ˈbeɪsmən/
  • US
translation icon : jugador de primera base
  • We have one of the best defensive first basemen in the game who also delivers in the clutch.
  • a star first baseman
  • a former first baseman
  • a first baseman's glove

Melissa Teixeira, good first baseman, great first baseman.

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Examples

  • Mauer has played half of his games as either a DH or a first baseman.

    Blog text (16)

  • The coach praised the first baseman for his quick reflexes when fielding grounders.

  • Have you got a first baseman on first?

    Rain Man (1988)

  • Oh, well... I guess you... in high school, you were a pretty good first baseman.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Brandon Moss had never played first base, and he ends up as our first baseman.

    Blog text (31)

  • Do you think it's important for a first baseman to be left-handed?

    Virtuosity (1995)

  • Allen Craig will be your full-time first baseman next season.

    Blog text (2)

  • Last week, the White Sox announced that first baseman Paul Konerko underwent successful surgery on his left wrist.

    Blog text (2)

  • First baseman Goldstein lays down a perfect bunt.

    Squeeze Play (1979)

  • Dark reaches for a pitch and hits a seeing-eye bouncer that ticks off the end of the first baseman's glove.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

first sacker
vsfirst baseman
  • Jargon
1 7.3

A player who stands at first base and catches throws to get batters out

has the same meaning and serves as an alternative name
first basewoman
vsfirst baseman
  • US
6.5

A woman who plays first base for a baseball team

is the gender-neutral term for the same position

Surface Forms

first baseman singular
first basemen plural

Morphology

first + baseman

The meaning is directly and predictably composed from 'first' (the base/position) and 'baseman' (a player who guards a base), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes the player at first base. This compound follows a transparent, language-neutral occupational/position naming pattern, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

First baseman comes from baseball: it names the person who stands by first base to catch throws and get runners out, so you picture someone right at the base ready to stop the play. That's why it means 'a player at first base'.