balls
Britishplural noun
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the testicles
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so as to be rendered powerless
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nonsense; rubbish
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courage; forcefulness
interjection
Usage
Both its anatomical senses and its various extended senses nowadays have far less impact than they used to, and seem unlikely to cause offence, though some older or more conservative people may object. Interestingly, its use in the sense of courage is exactly paralleled in the Spanish term «cojones»
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.
This year, pitchers, catchers and hitters can appeal umpires’ calls at home plate to a machine equipped with technology that can accurately track the ball’s location to within a fraction of an inch.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Shine a light outward from the center of the beachball so that the ball’s surface is projected onto the inside of the cylinder.
From Slate • Jan. 21, 2026
“He’s very strong and when the ball’s in the air he calls for it and gets there first,” Armijo said of Porth.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026
As the ball's coming across the penalty area, the Manchester City players move out, they leave Robertson in that offside position in the heart of the six-yard box.
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025
Whenever a foul ball’s hit toward where the Renegades parents sit, Malik’s mom always shouts, “Incoming,” and each time she does, Malik covers his face.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
