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ballplayer

American

[bawl-play-er] / ˈbɔlˌpleɪ ər /

noun

a person who plays ball professionally, especially baseball.
anyone who plays ball.

ballplayer British

/ ˈbɔːlˌpleɪə /

noun

a player, esp in soccer, with outstanding ability to control the ball
a baseball player, esp a professional

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ballplayer

First recorded in 1610–20; ball ¹ + player

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

ballplayer

Fader wasn’t convinced that a former ballplayer could handle its rigor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Bob was once so popular a ballplayer name that managers had to be careful not to trip over one Bob or another on their way through the clubhouse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2025

Being a big league ballplayer may have been some kids’ dream, but it wasn’t his.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2025

“The more I see him every day the more I realize how special of a person and a ballplayer he is.”

From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2024

“A great ballplayer always has his best games against the best teams.”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023