ball

¹

[ bawl ]

noun

1. a spherical or approximately spherical body or shape; sphere:

   He rolled the piece of paper into a ball.

2. a round or roundish body, of various sizes and materials, either hollow or solid, for use in games, as baseball, football, tennis, or golf.
3. a game played with a ball, especially baseball:

   The boys are out playing ball.

4. Baseball. a pitched ball, not swung at by the batter, that does not pass over home plate between the batter's shoulders and knees.
5. Military.
   1. a solid, usually spherical projectile for a cannon, rifle, pistol, etc., as distinguished from a shell.
   2. projectiles, especially bullets, collectively.
6. any part of a thing, especially of the human body, that is rounded or protuberant:

   the ball of the thumb.

7. a round mass of food, as of chopped meat, dough, or candy.
8. Usually balls. Slang: Vulgar. a testicle.
9. balls, Slang: Vulgar.
   1. boldness; courage; brashness:

      She had the balls to ignore her critics and stand up for what was right.

   2. nonsense (often used as an interjection).
10. bolus ( def 1 ).
11. Horticulture. a compact mass of soil covering the roots of an uprooted tree or other plant.
12. Literary. a planetary or celestial body, especially the earth.
13. Mathematics. (in a metric space) the set of points whose distance from the zero element is less than, or less than or equal to, a specified number.

verb (used with object)

1. to make into a ball (sometimes followed by up ):

   The children were balling up snow to make a snowman.

2. to wind into balls:

   to ball cotton.

3. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse with.

verb (used without object)

1. to form or gather into a ball:

   When the spun sugar balls, the candy has cooked sufficiently.

2. to play basketball:

   There’s no doubt the kid can ball, but the recruiters are also aware that he’s barely passing his math and science classes.

3. Slang: Vulgar. to have sexual intercourse.

verb phrase

1. Slang. to make or become utterly confused; muddle:

   The records had been all balled up by inefficient file clerks.

ball

²

[ bawl ]

noun

1. a large, usually lavish, formal party featuring social dancing and sometimes given for a particular purpose, as to introduce debutantes or benefit a charitable organization.
2. Informal. a thoroughly good time:

   Have a ball on your vacation!

Ball

³

[ bawl ]

noun

1. George W(ild·man) [wahyld, -m, uh, n], 1909–1994, U.S. lawyer, investment banker, and government official.
2. John, died 1381, English priest: one of the leaders of Wat Tyler's peasants' revolt in 1381.
3. Lucille, 1911–89, U.S. actress.

Ball

¹

/ bɔːl /

noun

1. BallJohn1381MEnglishRELIGION: clergymanPOLITICS: political leader John . died 1381, English priest: executed as one of the leaders of the Peasants' Revolt (1381)

ball

²

/ bɔːl /

noun

1. a social function for dancing, esp one that is lavish or formal
2. informal.
   a very enjoyable time (esp in the phrase have a ball )

ball

³

/ bɔːl /

noun

1. a spherical or nearly spherical body or mass

   a ball of wool

2. a round or roundish body, either solid or hollow, of a size and composition suitable for any of various games: football, golf, billiards, etc
3. a ball propelled in a particular way in a sport

   a high ball

4. any of various rudimentary games with a ball

   to play ball

5. cricket a single delivery of the ball by the bowler to the batsman
6. baseball a single delivery of the ball by a pitcher outside certain limits and not swung at by the batter
7. 1. a solid nonexplosive projectile for a firearm Compare shell
   2. such projectiles collectively
8. any more or less rounded part or protuberance

   the ball of the foot

9. See balls
   slang.
   a testicle See balls
10. See bolus
    vet science another word for bolus
11. horticulture the hard mass of roots and earth removed with the rest of the plant during transplanting
12. ball of muscle
    ball of muscle a very strong, fit, or forceful person
13. have the ball at one's feet
    have the ball at one's feet to have the chance of doing something
14. keep the ball rolling
    keep the ball rolling to maintain the progress of a project, plan, etc
15. on the ball informal.
    on the ball alert; informed
16. play ball informal.
    play ball to cooperate
17. set the ball rolling
    set the ball rollingstart the ball rolling to open or initiate (an action, discussion, movement, etc)
18. the ball is in your court
    the ball is in your court you are obliged to make the next move

verb

1. tr to make, form, wind, etc, into a ball or balls

   to ball wool

2. intr to gather into a ball or balls
3. taboo.
   to copulate (with)

Usage

Sense 9 of this word was formerly considered to be taboo, and it was labelled as such in previous editions of Collins English Dictionary . However, it has now become acceptable in speech, although some older or more conservative people may object to its use

Other Words From

• ball·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ball¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English bal, balle, probably from Old English beall (unattested), from Germanic ballaz (unattested); compare Old Norse bǫllr, Old High German bal, ballo, balla, German Ball, Dutch bal; perhaps akin to Latin follis “leather bag, bellows”; ballocks

Origin of ball²

First recorded in 1600–10; from French bal, noun derivative of baler (now baller ) “to dance,” from Late Latin ballāre, from Greek (Magna Graecia) ballízein “to dance”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ball¹

C17: from French bal (n), from Old French baller (vb), from Late Latin ballāre to dance, from Greek ballizein

Origin of ball²

C13: from Old Norse böllr ; related to Old High German balla , Italian palla French balle

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. ball the jack, Slang.
   1. to act with speed.
   2. to stake everything on one attempt.
2. carry the ball, to assume the responsibility; bear the burden:

   You can always count on him to carry the ball in an emergency.

3. drop the ball, to make a mistake or miss an opportunity at a critical moment.
4. keep the ball rolling, to continue or give renewed vigor to an activity already under way:

   When their interest lagged, he tried to keep the ball rolling.

5. on the ball,
   1. alert and efficient or effective:

      If you don't get on the ball, you'll be fired.

   2. indicating intelligence or ability:

      The tests show your students don't have much on the ball. The new manager has a lot on the ball.

6. play ball,
   1. to begin or continue playing a game.
   2. to start or continue any action.
   3. to work together; cooperate:

      union leaders suspected of playing ball with racketeers.

7. run with the ball, to assume responsibility or work enthusiastically:

   If management approves the concept, we'll run with the ball.

8. start the ball rolling, to put into operation; begin:

   The recreation director started the ball rolling by having all the participants introduce themselves.

More idioms and phrases containing ball

• behind the eight ball
• break one's balls
• by the balls
• carry the ball
• crystal ball
• drop the ball
• eyeball to eyeball
• get the ball rolling
• have a ball
• have one's eye on the ball
• have someone by the balls
• on the ball
• play ball
• put in mothballs
• snowball's chance in hell
• that's how the ball bounces
• whole ball of wax

Example Sentences

One of the kids had a ball in his hand, and Cuomo took it and tossed it back and forth to an eight year old.

From The Daily Beast

Instead of going for the hole, I hit the ball directly into the water.

From The Daily Beast

There is only sand, a white ball, and a flag indicating the hole.

From The Daily Beast

If the ball gets in the hole, the screen shifts to reveal the next hole.

From The Daily Beast

When the game starts, there is only sand, a white ball, a flag indicating hole 1, and a “0” at the top of the screen.

From The Daily Beast

It was little better than coal dust, and would not carry a ball fifty paces to kill or wound.

From Project Gutenberg

A view of the duchess's ball-room, or of the dining-table of the earl, will supersede all occasion for lengthy fiddle-faddle.

From Project Gutenberg

He had not the least idea what wadding was, and his notion of a bullet was a dockyard cannon-ball bigger than his own head.

From Project Gutenberg

On the night of June the 11th a red-hot cannon-ball set fire to one of the barracks which was used as a hospital.

From Project Gutenberg

At two o'clock, the general of the Carnival opens the public ball with the Mugnaia.

From Project Gutenberg