Showing results for ballplayer. Search instead for ballplayers.

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

Best remembered, that is, if not for the flag rescue that elevated him from a ballplayer to a hero.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 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

“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

Almost any job would pay better than what a ballplayer earned then.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

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