stickball

[ stik-bawl ]

noun

1. a form of baseball played in the streets, on playgrounds, etc., in which a rubber ball and a broomstick or the like are used in place of a baseball and bat.

Other Words From

• stickballer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stickball¹

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25; (broom)stick + ball ¹

Example Sentences

Although there’s a developed campground on the 19-acre lake, a mile away, dispersed camping is allowed on the expansive, grassy Ball Field, named after the stickball played here by Cherokee tribes as a means to resolve conflicts.

From Outside Online

One day we were playing punchball—like stickball, only you used your fist to hit a Spaldeen or a bald tennis ball.

From The Daily Beast

Remember those quaint ethnic communities, once teeming with stickball games and eggplant-shaped old women wielding rolling pins?

From The Daily Beast

He was photographed playing stickball in the streets of Harlem and had pop songs written about him.

From The Daily Beast

He knew the general rules of big-league baseball, but the kid-business of stickball did not register.

From Project Gutenberg