baseball ball

Meaning

1. 1nouncountable

   The hard white ball with red stitching that is thrown, hit, and caught in the game of baseball.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say a baseball ball or two baseball balls, though players usually just say a ball.

   Patterns

   • throw a baseball ball
   • hit a baseball ball
   • catch a baseball ball

   He threw the baseball ball so hard that it flew over the fence.

   The coach showed the children how to hold the baseball ball before pitching.

   A baseball ball is smaller and harder than a softball.

Word forms

Common combinations

throw a baseball ball

She can throw a baseball ball faster than anyone else on the team.

hit a baseball ball

It takes practice to hit a baseball ball squarely with the bat.

catch a baseball ball

The catcher caught the baseball ball just before it touched the ground.

a hard baseball ball

The glove is padded because a baseball ball is so hard.

a baseball ball game

We watched a baseball ball game on television last night.

Synonyms and how they differ

baseball

In everyday American English, people simply say baseball for the ball itself, so 'a baseball' is more common than 'a baseball ball'.

ball

This is the general word; use it when the sport is already clear from the situation.

Word family

baseball noun

The sport, or the ball used in it.

baseballer noun

A rare, informal word for a baseball player.

baseball cap noun

A soft cap with a long front brim, often worn by players and fans.

Commonly confused: baseball ball or softball? baseball ball or baseball bat?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “baseball ball”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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