HOME PLATE Meaning and
Definition
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Home plate is a term commonly employed in baseball to describe the central region of the playing field where the offensive team's batter stands during each turn at bat. Also known as the plate or the dish, it is a five-sided rubber slab placed at ground level, serving as the focal point for various baseball action. The plate is located at the rear point of a square-shaped area called the batter's box, situated directly in front of the catcher who crouches behind it. Typically measuring 17 inches wide, the home plate consists of two parallel sides that are each 8.5 inches long with two adjacent sides of 12 inches that taper to a straight line across the rear of the plate.
Home plate serves multiple purposes during a baseball game. Firstly, it marks the zone within which a properly thrown pitch must cross to be considered a strike by the umpire. Secondly, it represents the final obstacle the batter must cross to successfully score a run. Upon hitting a fair ball, the batter's ultimate objective is to touch home plate, thus completing a circuit around the bases. Finally, as the catcher's station, the plate becomes a critical location for defending a run and for various plays directly involving the catcher, such as tagging out a runner attempting to score. Due to its pivotal role in the game, home plate holds significant importance in the sport of baseball and its placement and dimensions are strictly regulated and standardized across all levels of play.
Common Misspellings for HOME PLATE
- gome plate
- bome plate
- nome plate
- jome plate
- uome plate
- yome plate
- hime plate
- hkme plate
- hlme plate
- hpme plate
- h0me plate
- h9me plate
- hone plate
- hoke plate
- hoje plate
- homw plate
- homs plate
- homd plate
- homew plate
Etymology of HOME PLATE
The etymology of the word "home plate" can be traced back to the game of baseball. The term "home base" was first used in the mid-1800s, referring to the final base a player must touch to score a run. Over time, as the shape of the base evolved from a simple square to a pentagonal plate, it came to be known as "home plate". The word "home" in this context signifies the player's ultimate destination or the place where they reside when not actively playing on the field.
Similar spelling words for HOME PLATE
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