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basketball

[ bas-kit-bawl, bah-skit- ]
/ ˈbæs kɪtˌbɔl, ˈbɑ skɪt- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR basketball ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a game played by two teams of usually five players each on a rectangular court having a raised basket or goal at each end, points being scored by tossing the ball through the opponent's basket.
the round, inflated ball approximately 30 inches (76 centimeters) in circumference, used in this game.

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Origin of basketball

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; basket + ball1

OTHER WORDS FROM basketball

pro·bas·ket·ball, adjective

Words nearby basketball

basis weight, basivertebral vein, bask, Baskerville, basket, basketball, basket case, basket catch, basket cell, basket chair, basket clause
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to basketball

ball, hoops

Example sentences from the Web for basketball

British Dictionary definitions for basketball

basketball
/ (ˈbɑːskɪtˌbɔːl) /

noun

a game played by two opposing teams of five men (or six women) each, usually on an indoor court. Points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal metal hoop
the inflated ball used in this game
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