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.
It will mean accepting once again, however painful it may be, that balls and strikes are whatever the umpire says they are.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026
Mitch Stanley then dominated the strike to the extent that ex-Australia Test batsman Marcus Harris faced only six balls in the first six overs of the session.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
She can rebound and scrap for loose balls too, and with Ariel Atkins reportedly being traded, Rice could play a big role.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
Play chipping games in the yard or take some foam balls to an empty field to see how far they go.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Brigit rolled her eyes, pulled her hair into a ponytail, and stuffed yarn balls in her satchel.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
