棒球 (bàng qiú) literally means 'bat ball' — 棒 (bàng) refers to the bat used to hit the ball, and 球 (qiú) means 'ball'. Together, they form the standard Chinese term for the sport of baseball, a team game played with a bat, ball, gloves, and bases. Though baseball originated in the United States, it is widely followed in East Asia, especially in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, and has growing popularity in mainland China through school programs and professional leagues.

The word is used exclusively as a noun and functions like other sports nouns in Chinese — it can be modified by classifiers (e.g., 一场棒球比赛 yī chǎng bàngqiú bǐsài — 'a baseball game') or paired with verbs like 'play', 'watch', or 'love'. It does not carry any figurative meanings in everyday usage and is neutral in register — appropriate in both casual conversation and formal reporting.