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
Ball
An English surname.
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.
• sphere
• globe
• (testicle): See testicle
• (nonsense): See nonsense
• (courage): chutzpah, guts, nerve
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
• (form into a ball): roll up, wad
• (sexual intercourse): (vulgar) bonk, fuck, lay, screw, shag (British); see also copulate with
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.
ball (plural balls)
A formal dance.
(informal) A very enjoyable time.
• (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
11 May 2025
(noun) a light drumstick with a rounded head that is used to strike such percussion instruments as chimes, kettledrums, marimbas, glockenspiels, etc.
International Coffee Day (September 29) is an occasion to promote and celebrate coffee as a beverage, with events occurring in places across the world. A day to promote fair trade coffee and raise awareness for the coffee growers’ plight. Other countries celebrate this event on October 1.
