- present tense form of ball (3rd person singular).
balls
Britishplural noun
-
the testicles
-
so as to be rendered powerless
-
nonsense; rubbish
-
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.
While batters may be striking at 123 when driving, their dismissal rate sits at 31.9, 10 balls lower than that of defensive strokes.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
I can really zone in on what is the most fruitful at the moment while still keeping these other balls in the air,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Here's another interesting bit: Australia's Mitchell Starc has taken wickets in two consecutive balls on 17 occasions in Tests but is yet to register a hat-trick.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
This takes into account Tests with such ball-by-ball data where we've had four balls, five balls and eight balls in an over and now finally settling to the standard six.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Eisenhower used to put on golf cleats at his desk and walk outside to hit a few balls.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
