definitions

ball and chain

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ball and chain ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a heavy iron ball fastened by a chain to a prisoner's leg.
a burdensome restraint: The steady accumulation of small debts was a ball and chain to his progress.
Facetious Slang: Often Offensive. a person's spouse or romantic partner, especially a female.

RELATED CONTENT

andRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Why Do “Left” And “Right” Mean Liberal And Conservative?During election seasons the words left and right denote political affiliation more than spatial direction. But where do these associations come from? The left hand has long been associated with deviance. The word “sinister” originally meant “to the left” in Latin. The word “left” comes from the Old English word lyft, which literally meant “weak, foolish.” To avoid the negative and superstitious associations of the …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

girlfriend, wife

Nearby words

balkis, balkline, balky, ball, ball ammunition, ball and chain, ball and ring, ball bearing, ball boy, ball clay, ball club

Origin of ball and chain

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Usage note

In the meaning “romantic partner,” this term is consciously used for humorous or playful effect. But it is often perceived as insulting, implying that the partner is a burden or restriction on the other partner.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for ball and chain

ball and chain

noun

(formerly) a heavy iron ball attached to a chain and fastened to a prisoner
a heavy restraint
slang a wife
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

Idioms and Phrases with ball and chain

ball and chain

A burden and restraint, as in Karen regarded her job as a ball and chain, but she needed the money. The term, dating from the early 1800s, alludes to chaining a heavy iron ball to a prisoner's leg. Later it was transferred to other kinds of restraining burden.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.