base•ball (bās´bôl´) n.
☆ 1 a game (esp. hardball, n. 1a) played with a bat and a ball by two opposing teams of nine or ten players on a field with four bases: each team takes turns batting against the opponent's pitcher and tries to score more runs than the other team
☆ 2 the ball used in playing hardball: it is hard, usually white and rawhide-covered, and smaller than a softball Cf. softball