golf ball

American  

noun

1. a small, white ball with a tough cover and a resilient core of rubber, used in playing golf.

2. a ball-shaped printing element on certain electric typewriters.

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golf ball British  

noun

1. a small resilient, usually white, ball of either two-piece or three-piece construction, the former consisting of a solid inner core with a thick covering of toughened material, the latter consisting of a liquid centre, rubber-wound core, and a thin layer of balata

2. (in some electric typewriters) a small detachable metal sphere, around the surface of which type characters are arranged

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Etymology

Origin of golf ball

First recorded in 1535–45

Example Sentences

He openly supports potential future rule changes that would rollback golf ball technology to limit players’ distance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Within days, the 12-year-old was undergoing emergency neurosurgery to drain fluid from her brain caused by a growth bigger than a golf ball.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

She hurled her golf ball into the grandstand, wiped away tears and was hugged by her husband, David Esch.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2025

And when the theatrical comedy is in jeopardy, revitalizing this type of juvenility for low-brow laughs, now tempered even further to be digested between phone scrolls, feels like a golf ball to the forehead.

From Salon • Jul. 27, 2025

A knot as big as a golf ball forms in my throat.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas