BALL

ball

(noun) a pitch that is not in the strike zone; “he threw nine straight balls before the manager yanked him”

baseball, baseball game, ball

(noun) a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; “he played baseball in high school”; “there was a baseball game on every empty lot”; “there was a desire for National League ball in the area”; “play ball!”

ball

(noun) round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games; “the ball travelled 90 mph on his serve”; “the mayor threw out the first ball”; “the ball rolled into the corner pocket”

ball

(noun) a spherical object used as a plaything; “he played with his rubber ball in the bathtub”

testis, testicle, orchis, ball, ballock, bollock, nut, egg

(noun) one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens; “she kicked him in the balls and got away”

ball

(noun) a more or less rounded anatomical body or mass; “the ball at the base of the thumb”; “he stood on the balls of his feet”

ball, formal

(noun) a lavish dance requiring formal attire

ball, clod, glob, lump, clump, chunk

(noun) a compact mass; “a ball of mud caught him on the shoulder”

ball

(noun) the people assembled at a lavish formal dance; “the ball was already emptying out before the fire alarm sounded”

Ball, Lucille Ball

(noun) United States comedienne best known as the star of a popular television program (1911-1989)

ball, globe, orb

(noun) an object with a spherical shape; “a ball of fire”

ball

(verb) form into a ball by winding or rolling; “ball wool”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Proper noun

Ball

An English surname.

Etymology 1

Noun

ball (countable and uncountable, plural balls)

A solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical mass.

A quantity of string, thread, etc, wound into a spherical shape.

(ballistics, firearms) A solid, spherical nonexplosive missile for a cannon, rifle, gun, etc.

A jacketed non-expanding bullet, typically of military origin.

(uncountable, obsolete) Such bullets collectively.

A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body.

(anatomy) The front of the bottom of the foot, just behind the toes.

The globe; the earthly sphere.

(mathematics) The set of points in a metric space lying within a given distance (the radius) of a given point; specifically, the homologue of the disk in a Euclidean space of any number of dimensions.

(mathematics, more generally) The set of points in a topological space lying within some open set containing a given point; the analogue of the disk in a Euclidean space.

An object, generally spherical, used for playing games.

(sport) A round or ellipsoidal object.

Any sport or game involving a ball.

(baseball) A pitch that falls outside of the strike zone.

(pinball) An opportunity to launch the pinball into play.

(cricket) A single delivery by the bowler, six of which make up an over.

(soccer) A pass; a kick of the football towards a teammate.

(mildly, vulgar, slang, usually, in the plural) A testicle.

(in the plural) Nonsense.

(in the plural) Courage.

(printing, historical) A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; formerly used by printers for inking the form, then superseded by the roller.

(farriery, historical) A large pill, a form in which medicine was given to horses; a bolus.

Synonyms

• sphere

• globe

• (testicle): See testicle

• (nonsense): See nonsense

• (courage): chutzpah, guts, nerve

Verb

ball (third-person singular simple present balls, present participle balling, simple past and past participle balled)

(transitive) To form or wind into a ball.

(metalworking) To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling.

(transitive, vulgar) To have sexual intercourse with.

(ambitransitive) To gather balls which cling to the feet, as of damp snow or clay; to gather into balls.

(slang, usually in present participle) To be hip or cool.

(nonstandard, slang) To play basketball.

(transitive) To punish by affixing a ball and chain

Synonyms

• (form into a ball): roll up, wad

• (sexual intercourse): (vulgar) bonk, fuck, lay, screw, shag (British); see also copulate with

Interjection

ball

(Australian rules football) An appeal by the crowd for holding the ball against a tackled player. This is heard almost any time an opposition player is tackled, without regard to whether the rules about "prior opportunity" to dispose of the ball are fulfilled.

Etymology 2

Noun

ball (plural balls)

A formal dance.

(informal) A very enjoyable time.

Synonyms

• (very enjoyable time): blast, whale of a time

Source: Wiktionary


Ball, n. Etym: [OE. bal, balle; akin to OHG. balla, palla, G. ball, Icel. böllr, ball; cf. F. balle. Cf. 1st Bale, n., Pallmall.]

1. Any round or roundish body or mass; a sphere or globe; as, a ball of twine; a ball of snow.

2. A spherical body of any substance or size used to play with, as by throwing, knocking, kicking, etc.

3. A general name for games in which a ball is thrown, kicked, or knocked. See Baseball, and Football.

4. Any solid spherical, cylindrical, or conical projectile of lead or iron, to be discharged from a firearm; as, a cannon ball; a rifball;

– often used collectively; as, powder and ball. Spherical balls for the smaller firearms are commonly called bullets.

5. (Pirotechnics & Mil.)

Definition: A flaming, roundish body shot into the air; a case filled with combustibles intended to burst and give light or set fire, or to produce smoke or stench; as, a fire ball; a stink ball.

6. (Print.)

Definition: A leather-covered cushion, fastened to a handle called a ballstock; -- formerly used by printers for inking the form, but now superseded by the roller.

7. A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body; as, the ball of the thumb; the ball of the foot.

8. (Far.)

Definition: A large pill, a form in which medicine is commonly given to horses; a bolus. White.

9. The globe or earth. Pope. Move round the dark terrestrial ball. Addison. Ball and socket joint, a joint in which a ball moves within a socket, so as to admit of motion in every direction within certain limits.

– Ball bearings, a mechanical device for lessening the friction of axle bearings by means of small loose metal balls.

– Ball cartridge, a cartridge containing a ball, as distinguished from a blank cartridge, containing only powder.

– Ball cock, a faucet or valve which is opened or closed by the fall or rise of a ball floating in water at the end of a lever.

– Ball gudgeon, a pivot of a spherical form, which permits lateral deflection of the arbor or shaft, while retaining the pivot in its socket. Knight.

– Ball lever, the lever used in a ball cock.

– Ball of the eye, the eye itself, as distinguished from its lids and socket; -- formerly, the pupil of the eye.

– Ball valve (Mach.), a contrivance by which a ball, placed in a circular cup with a hole in its bottom, operates as a valve.

– Ball vein (Mining), a sort of iron ore, found in loose masses of a globular form, containing sparkling particles.

– Three balls, or Three golden balls, a pawnbroker's sign or shop.

Syn.

– See Globe.

Ball, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Balled (p. pr. & vb. n. Balling.]

Definition: To gather balls which cling to the feet, as of damp snow or clay; to gather into balls; as, the horse balls; the snow balls.

Ball, v. t.

1. (Metal.)

Definition: To heat in a furnace and form into balls for rolling.

2. To form or wind into a ball; as, to ball cotton.

Ball, n. Etym: [F. bal, fr. OF. baler to dance, fr. LL. ballare. Of uncertain origin; cf. Gr. to toss or throw, or , , to leap, bound, to dance, jump about; or cf. 1st Ball, n.]

Definition: A social assembly for the purpose of dancing.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

31 May 2025

AMATORY

(adjective) expressive of or exciting sexual love or romance; “her amatory affairs”; “amorous glances”; “a romantic adventure”; “a romantic moonlight ride”


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Coffee Trivia

Decaffeinated coffee is not caffeine-free. Studies from the National Institute of Health (US) have shown that virtually all decaf coffee types contain caffeine. A 236-ml (8-oz) cup of decaf coffee contains up to 7 mg of caffeine, whereas a regular cup provided 70-140 mg.

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