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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The home plate umpire thought otherwise, but Yan was already midair in celebration. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026 The Yankees had just taken a 1-0 lead on a solo home run from Trent Grisham when home plate umpire Vic Carapazza tossed Boone. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026 Seigler, though, crossed home plate before Sogard was put out at first. — CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 Since the Boston runner crossed home plate before the Jays recorded the third out at first, Toronto was required to appeal his early departure at third. — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for home plate

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of home plate was in 1866

Rhymes for home plate

See All Rhymes for home plate

Browse Nearby Words

homeplace
home plate
homeport
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Cite this Entry

“Home plate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/home%20plate. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

home plate

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

More from Merriam-Webster on home plate

Nglish: Translation of home plate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about home plate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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